Recipes

We have to eat

Broccoli-Cheese Casserole

Arguably the Best Side Dish Ever

This dish is at war with my (natural) standards. C’est la vie. I believe in organic ingredients… I can’t argue against the dependably creamy texture and consistent flavor of Cheez Whiz. I did not create this dish; I was given this gift. What can I say, except that it is a long-time family favorite. I realize that there are currently many natural cheese products with the similar thickness of Cheez Whiz (not available at the origin of this recipe, I’m sure). You do you. There are times when nostalgia and tradition outweigh set Sadie’s rules. (I’m okay with that.) It’s flavorful, indulgent, and incredibly easy to make. There are only 4 ingredients, all of which are easy to store. It also reminds me of almost every holiday table I have ever perused. You can’t replace that.

3 – 10 oz bags of Frozen Broccoli, thawed and cut into bite-sized pieces

1 – 15 oz jar of Cheez Whiz

10 Tbsp Butter (1 stick + 2 Tbsp)

36 Saltine Crackers (1 sleeve)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Crush the sleeve of crackers until about pea size. Melt butter over medium high heat till bubbly and add crackers pieces.

Sauté till golden brown and butter is absorbed.

Remove from heat and set aside.

Lightly pat any excess water from Broccoli pieces and evenly distribute in ungreased casserole dish. (Side note: you can use fresh broccoli, but you’ll need to add a little water.)

Remove lid and heat Cheez Whiz (right in jar) in microwave for 30 seconds, stir. Heat 20 seconds more, or until easily spreadable.

Spread Cheez Whiz evenly over top of broccoli.

Top with sautéed crackers and bake for half hour, until hot and bubbly.

Garlic Cheese-Stuffed Jalapeños

Low carb and KETO-licious… also vegetarian, but most importantly- so yummy.

It’s finally spring, and we are slowly getting glimpses of the warmer days ahead. You know what that means, time to put away the heavy dishes, and thick gravies. We are lightening the load to make way for lighter apparel. Ahem. But that doesn’t mean we have to sacrifice flavor, it means we get to be creative with the fresh fruits and vegetables coming our way! Hurray! Of course, these can be served all year round, because they’re delicious. We think they are rustically beautiful, an impressive appetizer anytime.

These little beauties are not difficult, at all. But, they do require a little planning ahead (i.e. time to roast garlic). If you can do that, you’re all set.

Ingredients

1 head Garlic

1 Tbsp Olive Oil

1/4 tsp course Salt

10-12 Jalapeño peppers (8-10 if they are large)

1 – 8 oz block Cream Cheese, softened

1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan Cheese

Salt to taste

2/3 cup Pine Nuts

Method

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Slice the top of the garlic head (so that the cloves are just exposed). Make a small aluminum foil pouch to hold the head of garlic.

Drizzle the garlic with olive oil and sprinkle with coarse salt. Enclose the garlic with the aluminum, leaving a small opening at the top for steam to escape. Bake for 35-40 minutes until pouch is soft (slightly squishy) to the light squeeze. Remove from oven and allow to cool to a handling temperature.

In the meantime, slice the jalapeños in half (lengthwise) and discard the seeds.

Place the peppers face down onto a baking sheet. Bake 5-6 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool slightly.

In a small mixing bowl, squeeze the warm head of garlic so that all of the cloves and garlicky mush comes out. Discard the papery covering. Mash the cloves with a fork.

When pliable, add the parmesan and cream cheese. Stir until all is incorporated. Taste for seasoning, add salt if needed (if it tastes good to you now, it will taste good when stuffed).

The peppers should be easy to handle now. One by one, pick them up and spoon (or small spatula) in the garlic-cream cheese mixture until just rounded above the sides. Place the pepper back on the pan, stuffed side up.

When jalapeños are stuffed, sprinkle each with pine nuts. Bake for another 6-8 minutes until pine nuts look lightly browned.

Serve the jalapeños warm… with a side of ranch dressing (optional, but do it).

Korean Beef Tacos

It was when we were on a family vacation in beautiful Traverse City, Michigan that I had my first Korean beef taco (ok my first 6… we went back for more- again, and again that trip, I couldn’t get enough!) The Little Fleet, is a great place to visit for live music and food, and in the summer they host a “fleet” of food trucks with exceptional menu options. If you’re ever in the area, I highly recommend you give them a try!

-Rachel

This recipe is a creation of our own. Perfect to feed a crowd with little fuss, or simply cut the ingredient amounts in half for a family sized portion. It’s everything we love about Korean beef, in super easy crockpot ready style. Also, these ingredients can be found at any grocer, with no need to visit a Korean market. Although we love the inspiring flavors we discover at specialty markets, we keep it convenient because when the craving hits (and it will)…you have to be ready!!

Easily makes 20 tacos…

3½ lbs Flank Steak
2 Tbsp Ginger Paste
½ cup Maple Syrup
2 Tbsp Sriracha
2 tsp Fish Sauce
1 Tbsp Sesame Oil
1 cup Soy Sauce

Place steak into crockpot laying flat.

Mix all other ingredients together in medium bowl.

Pour over beef. Try to situate the steak so it is submersed in sauce. Cook on high for 4 hours or low for 7 hours.

Remove meat and cut across grain into large sections about 3-4 inches long and then shred it, using two forks to pull it apart (it should be extremely tender).

*Sometimes I do this whole step while still in crockpot, but it can scratch your pot!

Place back into crockpot with sauce and serve from there.

I serve my tacos with sliced avocado, a dollop of spicy Greek yogurt (1 cup Greek yogurt with 1 tablespoon sriracha mixed in), a squeeze of fresh lime and thinly sliced purple cabbage.


Rachel’s Chicken Pot Pie

If you ask Rachel’s son, Jude, what she cooks best he says “everything” (real smooth like, in hopes of extra time on his Xbox). But, if you ask what his favorite dish is that she makes, he says “chicken pot pie.” So we thought this might be a recipe worth sharing. It takes a some time to make, but it’s not complicated and the results are tried and true.

Pot pie is one of those comfort foods that seems appropriate to serve in any season, and uses ingredients that are easy to keep on hand. Reusing the stock that the chicken simmered in, really lends a depth to the filling. This creamy and rich recipe is a crowd pleaser; and can easily be doubled, or turns out great for individual pies.


Makes 2 – 9 inch pies

4 cups Chicken Stock

1 Bayleaf

3 Tbsp Better than Bouillon, chicken flavor

1 tsp dried Thyme

2 tsp Peppercorns

4 lbs (approx 3 large) Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts

3 – 10 ounce bags Frozen Peas and Carrots (or mixed vegetables of your choice)

1 stick Butter + 2 tablespoons for buttering pie plate

1/2 cup of Flour

1 1/2 cups of Heavy Cream

1 Tbsp Salt

2 tsp Pepper

2 – Pie Crusts (homemade or store bought)

Bring stock to a boil then reduce to simmer, whisk in bouillon, add bayleaf, thyme, peppercorns, and chicken breast. Simmer for about 20 minutes until no longer pink.

Remove chicken from stock and let rest about 5 mins until cool enough to cut into chunks. Reserve all stock.

Butter 2 – 9″ pie pans. Preheat oven to 350.

In a large pot, (we use a 9 quart Dutch oven), on medium heat melt butter. Next add frozen vegetables. Cook over medium high heat for about 6 minutes.

Turn heat to low and add in 1/2 cup of flour, stirring often. Cook for about two minutes.

Pouring through a sieve, add reserved warm chicken stock to your vegetables. Mix well and return to medium heat.

Once thickened remove from heat and fold in chicken. Add heavy cream. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Evenly ladle pot pie filling into pie plates.

Roll out pie crust on lightly floured surface and cover pies. Crimp edges and cut a few slits in pie crust.

Cover edges of pie with foil to prevent burning and bake for about 45 mins until crust is golden.

Let pies rest about 20-25 mins before cutting. Enjoy!

Promenade Artisan Foods’ Blueberry Muffins

Not sure if you caught Click on Detroit, Live in the D last Friday morning? Their segment, “Get a taste of France at this Downriver Gem,” showcased Promenade Artisan Foods of Trenton, MI. We wouldn’t have missed it (and not just because the owner is our cousin)! Promenade Artisan Foods is getting the recognition they deserve, because their food is outstanding. Most everything they make is done in-house and from scratch (croissants & pastries, breads & baked goods, sauces, etc.), and I dare say: you won’t find better. Thankfully Click on Detroit shared their recipe for Blueberry Muffins for the world to enjoy. Obviously, we had to make them.

As found on clickondetroit.com:

Ingredients

3 Cups All Purpose Flour

1.5 Cup White Sugar

4 tsp Baking Powder

1 tsp Salt

2/3 Cup Whole Butter Milk

2/3 Cup Vegetable Oil

2 Large Eggs

2 Pints Fresh Blueberries

Method

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Mix all dry ingredients together in a medium-sized bowl.  

In a separate bowl, whisk together wet ingredients.  

Gently mix the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients with a spatula.  Do not over mix.  Gently fold in fresh blueberries.  

Divide batter into 12 LARGE muffin cups.

Bake for 22-25 minutes or until a toothpick pulls clean.

Preferably, eat hot out of the oven, slathered in butter. (But room temperature is good too!)

In case you missed it, and want to see for yourself: Click on Detroit!

Aunt Esta’s Poppy Seed Bread

My Great-Aunt Esta is the youngest of six children in my grandmother’s sibling line-up. She is the only member of those loved ones still with us today. It was only on special occasions that we were able to visit with Aunt Esta, after she made the trip from New York. Honestly, all I remember from those visits was watching my grandma and her sisters laugh; talk a little- and laugh; move around a little- and laugh. It was the best. They all had great senses of humor, and nothing was off limits to become a joke. They could laugh at each other, at themselves, and even make the best of bad situations. It’s a gift; and if youtube had been a thing, they would have had a lot of followers. As time and families do, we went on and spread out. We don’t see each other as much as we’d like to… Which is why having recipes from special people is so rewarding. I love baking from scratch, sharing homemade food with my children, and telling them stories about loved ones.

Makes 2 loaves (or 6 mini-loaves)

3 cups Flour

2 1/4 cups Sugar

3 Tbsp Poppy Seeds

1 1/2 tsp Baking Powder

1 1/2 tsp Salt

3 Eggs, lightly beaten

1 1/2 cups Milk

1 cup Vegetable Oil

1 1/2 tsp Vanilla extract

1 1/2 tsp Almond extract

1 1/2 tsp Butter extract

Glaze:

3/4 cup Sugar

1/4 cup Orange Juice

1/2 tsp Vanilla extract

1/2 tsp Almond extract

1/2 tsp Butter extract

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease 2 8 1/2 x 4 1/2 x 2 inch loaf pans. Set aside.

In a large bowl, combine first 5 ingredients.

Add eggs, milk, oil, and extracts. Pour into prepared pans. Bake for 60 – 65 minutes (30-35 minutes for mini-loaves); until inserted toothpick comes out clean. Let cool completely in pans.

On to the glaze!

I juiced an orange, but you do you.

In a saucepan, bring all glaze ingredients to a boil.

Pour over bread in pans.

Cool 5 minutes; remove from pans and cool completely.

Don’t be like me and eat a whole mini-loaf in one sitting.

Grandma (top left), with her parents and siblings
Esta: Bottom row, on the left


Maraschino Cherry-Almond Biscotti

On any given day, it’s possible that I have a pre-breakfast snack. (This is a no judge zone.)

On average, I wake at 6:30 am… by 7:00 I’m hitting the gym. Bahaha! Just kidding. (In a dream world though…) But Seriously, by 7 I have a cup of coffee in hand and a mouthful of “something” as I go about my morning routine. Sometimes it’s the crust of a peanut butter sandwich, or some apple slices that didn’t fit in the snack bag for my kid’s packed lunch, other times it’s lemon water and Greek yogurt for a metabolic jump start. For me these first few bites kick off the day and set the tone for my morning. When I really want it to satisfy, it’s biscotti (or a Kind granola bar, because those are just candy I get to call health food). This Maraschino Cherry Almond Biscotti recipe is perfection for those days that you want that- life is good and I’m so fancy feeling… maybe I should get a mani?

1/2 cup butter softened

1 tablespoon almond extract

2 eggs

3 1/2 cups all purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1 cup sliced almonds, toasted

1 cup maraschino cherries well drained, patted dry, and finely chopped (reserve the juice, secret recipe at the end 😉 )

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Toast your almond slices on a parchment lined cookie sheet for about eight minutes, let cool and set aside.

Chop drained maraschino cherries and strainer a bowl (reserving juice). Place cherries on a paper towel to remove excess moisture so that your biscotti stays crunchy. Set aside.

Beat sugar and butter until smooth, add almond extract, and eggs until combined.


Using a sifter add flour, baking powder, and baking soda and mix until dough is formed. Fold in almonds and cherries.

If dough is crumbly,  turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead for a couple minutes.

Now divide dough in half and shape each half into a rectangle about 12” x 2.5”, and place each half on an ungreased cookie sheet.


Bake for 30 minutes or until the center of the dough is firm to the touch. Remove from the oven and cool. Once cooled, cut each rectangle on the bias into ½” slices using a serrated knife. Place slices, cut side down, on the ungreased cookie sheet.

Bake about 15 minutes. When they are lightly browned move to a cooling rack.

Once they’re cool they are ready to be enjoyed (and totally delicious in their own right). Or you can decorate them like we did using milk chocolate, white chocolate, sliced almonds and our own maraschino cherry white chocolate.

To make Maraschino Cherry-White Chocolate Glaze: simply melted ½ cup of white chocolate over a double boiler and whisk in about ¼ cup of the (room temperature) reserved maraschino cherry juice.

Have a fabulous morning… and day… evening…

Ground Beef Stroganoff

What to eat during a polar vortex?

For those of us in the upper midwest, this time of year begs for comfort food. We need something to keep us warm and fed; our bodies and our souls. I remember my mom making this during the cold winter months growing up. It was the perfect answer to the snowy walk from the bus stop to the front door. As an adult, I love that this recipe uses ground beef. (What northerner doesn’t have a pound of hamburger in their fridge at all times?) This recipe is simple and hearty, it has few ingredients- and will keep you alive.

1 lb Ground Beef

1 oz. packet Dry Onion Soup mix

1 family size Condensed Cream of Mushroom Soup (22.6 oz.)

1/2 tsp Pepper (to taste)

2/3 – 1 cup Sour Cream (to taste)

Fresh Parsley, chopped, to garnish

12 oz. Pasta or Egg Noodles (cooked according to package directions)

1 tbsp Butter

Brown the beef (if using lean meat, you might want to add a tablespoon of olive oil to the pan).

Add dry soup mix, stir until combined.

Stir in Condensed Cream of Mushroom Soup and pepper. Let sauce cook over medium heat until it comes to a simmer. Remove from heat and add sour cream.

Add butter to cooked noodles, top with warm creamy beef sauce, and garnish with chopped fresh parsley. Enjoy!



My Favorite Cut-Out Cookies

The best sugar cookie recipe -ever!

It’s versatile, it’s forgiving; roll it thin, roll it thick. It holds its’ shape. Most importantly, it’s delicious… It makes a good amount, and it doesn’t call for something ridiculous (when trying to homestyle mass produce), like 1 egg yolk. You don’t have to wait for it to chill! What else could you want?

As found at TwoSistersCrafting.com:

Cookie Dough

  • 2 cups Sweet Cream Salted Butter (4 sticks), softened
  • 2 cups Sugar
  • 2 Eggs
  • 2 tbsp. Vanilla
  • 4 tsp. Baking Powder
  • 6 cups Flour
  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  2. Add butter and sugar to your mixer.  Cream the butter and sugar until it is completely mixed.  Do not over-mix.
  3. Add vanilla and eggs and mix until completely incorporated.
  4. Add Baking Powder and mix.
  5. Mix in the flour two cups at a time.
  6. Mix until combined (finish with spoon and hands if necessary).
  7. Lightly flour a surface area.
  8. Roll out dough on prepared surface.
  9. Cut out desired shapes, and place on cookie sheet. (Re-rolling leftover dough pieces until used up.)
  10. Bake for 6-8 minutes, or 7-9 minutes if thicker.
  11. Allow to cool before decorating.

For Two Sister’s icing ideas, click on the link above. However, for my classic cut-out sugar cookies, I went old school; straight out of Better Homes & Garden’s Royal Icing circa 1968. (Just how dad used to make them.)

Royal Icing

3 Egg whites, room temperature

1 pound sifted powdered Sugar

1 tsp Vanilla (we skipped this for the white icing, but added it for colors)

1/2 tsp Cream of Tartar

Mix until smooth. Add desired colors. Decorate until your hearts content.

Optional: Food coloring, dragées, colored sugars (varying in size), other decorative edibles.

Also optional: invite friends and family over to decorate.

Apple & Brie Pie

For more than one holiday, my sister and I have wrapped a small round of brie (to bake) in puffed pastry. Before it’s wrapped, we top the brie with walnuts, dried cranberries, and honey. It’s served with (buttery) crackers, and it’s amazing. One could lighten it up by serving it with some apple slices or celery… You do you. Naturally, due to my butter inclination, it lead to that would make a good pie.

2 – Pie Crusts, homemade or store bought

5 medium Apples (up to 7 small), peeled and sliced about ½ inch thick

Juice of 1 Lemon

1 Tbsp Flour

2 Tbsp granulated Sugar, plus more for sprinkling

3 Tbsp Brown Sugar

1/2 tsp Cinnamon

1/8 tsp Nutmeg, freshly grated

1 Tbsp Honey

1 sprig fresh thyme, finely chopped (or small leaves striped from stem)

1/2 cup dried Cranberries

5 oz. Brie cheese, diced into ½ inch cubes

2 oz. White Cheddar, shredded

1/2 cup Walnuts, chopped

1 Egg white + 1 splash water, for egg wash

Preheat the oven to 375º.

Blind bake 1 pie crust in a baking dish 10-12 minutes. (Blind bake means to pre-cook the crust, without filling using pie weights, rice or dry beans in parchment paper set on top of the crust.) Set aside.

Meanwhile, place apple slices, lemon juice, flour, granulated sugar, brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, thyme, and cranberries in a bowl.

Gently toss until all is mixed well. In the pre-baked crust, evenly distribute apple mixture and brie pieces. Cover the apple and brie filling with an even layer of shredded cheddar cheese. Next place an even layer of chopped walnuts over the cheese.

Carefully lay the second pie dough (in a pattern or not) over the top of the layered pie filling.

Side note: My inspiration for the diamond pattern came from the latest issue of Martha Stewart’s Living Magazine:

(If you do not have a pattern, cut a few slices in the top of the dough to release steam.) With a pastry brush (or spoon), lightly cover the pie dough with the egg wash, and sprinkle with sugar.

Bake for 30-35 minutes, until cheese is oozy, crust is browned, apples are softened but still a little firm, walnuts are toasted, and flavors are melded.

Let stand 10-15 minutes. Serve warm.

…Or at room temp.

…Or for breakfast the next day.

…(Because I can easily eat cheese, crackers and fruit for breakfast. Same thing?)