May 18, 2008
No Rise Rolls
These are the best. We first had them when my mom visited for Joanna's birth and have been making them ever since. You can refrigerate the dough for quick, fresh, hot rolls...ready in 30 min.
Dissolve in 1/2 C warm water: 1 T sugar and 1 T yeast.
Mix in bowl:
- 1/2 C oil
- 2 C plain yogurt
- 1/2 t baking soda
- 5 t baking powder
- 1 t salt
- 1/2 C sugar
Add yeast mixture and stir well.
Add 5 C flour (I use 3 whole wheat and 2 white) and knead until soft, adding more flour as needed.
Make into rolls and bake at 375 for 15 to 20 min.
Refrigerate dough in an airtight container.
Posted by sarahward at 5:22 PM | Comments (3) | TrackBack
May 4, 2008
Crunchy Granola
Life is unscheduled and unpredictable with a newborn. This is hard for both Kirk and my personalities. One area of our little scheduled life that Samuel has thrown into some confusion is our morning routine. We like to eat oatmeal for breakfast but it takes time to make and thus Kirk is late for work. But something that my mom got us back into is granola. Quick, easy, delicious (especially if we have fresh strawberries to throw on top. So here's a recipe that I grew up on from the More With Less Cookbook. I have a batch baking right now and time to blog the recipe thanks to a WONDERFUL husband who has taken Joanna to the store. It's been a long, hard day and I'm tired of my job as Mommy.
Preheat oven to 325.
Mix together in large bowl:
- 1/2 - 1 C. coconut (I only use 1/2 C.)
- 4 C. rolled oats (I just use oatmeal)
- 1 C. sunflower seed
- 1 C. wheat germ (sold in the cereal part of the store, not the flour part)
- 1/4 - 1/2 c. sesame seed (I use 1/4 C.)
- 1 C. peanuts or chopped walnuts (I use 1 1/2 C. peanuts)
Bring to a boil:
- 1 C. honey or brown sugar (use 3/4 C. oil of you use brown sugar)
- 1/2 C oil
- 1 T cinnamon
Pour honey mixture over dry ingredients and mix thoroughly. Spread on 2 greased cookie sheets (with sides). Bake about 30 minutes, stirring often. Watch closely at the last, not allowing granola to become too dark. Allow to cool undisturbed, then break into chunks.
Posted by sarahward at 5:16 PM | Comments (3) | TrackBack
July 18, 2007
Mulligatawny Soup
This photo was taken at Kaufman park. I want to do a photo tour of St. Louis playgrounds. Check out more of the photos on my Facebook account.
Heidi requested the following recipe and I thought I'd put in on my blog since it's been forever since I've done that. I got this recipe from Heather Henning and we LOVE it. It makes a lot and freezes well.
Mulligatawny Soup
3 lb chicken thighs (Aldi sells a 3 lb bag of boneless skinless thighs)
3 T vegetable oil
1 medium onion, sliced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 inch ginger, grated
1 T curry (or more)
2 T water
4 C chicken stock
1/2 t salt
1/2 to 1 C heavy whipping cream
1. Cut chicken into bite size pieces (this takes FOREVER).
2. Heat oil in pot. Add onion and cook until golden brown.
3. Add garlic, ginger, and curry. Cook 30 seconds.
4. Add chicken and 2 T water. Cook until chicken looses raw color (3-5 min or more).
5. Add chicken stock and salt. Boil.
6. Simmer till chicken is cooked (20-30 min).
7. Add cream.
Serve over rice with toppings: bananas, apple, raisins, coconut, etc.
Posted by sarahward at 2:06 PM | Comments (4) | TrackBack
January 19, 2007
Hersman Fudge
No, this is not a fudge maker, but an ice cream maker that I received from my parents for Christmas. It's awesome, as is this fudge recipe from my sister Rinnie's in-laws. Try it, you'll love it. I made it earlier this week and we've already eaten all but one peice (which is Kirk's) but I'm gonna eat it soon if he leaves it much longer. Everything, especially food must be divided equally in my mind. That's what I get for coming from a large family (7 total). When Kirk and I have BLT's, I cook extra bacon because I had to share the bacon with so many other mouths as a kid. I remember as a kid one of our favorite meals was porcupine meatballs. My mom would have to count how many meatballs there were so that each of us would get the exact same amount. And when we lived in rural Kenya, in Muruu, we would have to butcher a chicken (and that's a whole other exciting story) to have chicken for dinner (no frozen chicken breasts out there). For some reason us kids all wanted to eat the heart, so my poor mom would have to cut it up into 5 tiny pieces so we could each have some. Ahhh, how sweet those memories are to me.
Posted by sarahward at 11:16 AM | Comments (6) | TrackBack
September 20, 2006
Skillet Beef With Lentils
We had this for the first time yesterday and it was a success. I found it while reading through the More With Less looking for new recipes. I made some chapatis to go along with it which of course made it extra yummy! It also has hardly any rice in it so could be used for the South Beach Diet (maybe even in a loose phase 1).
Bring 1 qt. (4 cups) water to boil in saucepan. Add:
1 1/2 c. lentils, rinsed (I used mung dahl)
Cook 20 minutes. Drain, reserving liquid. In deep skillet, saute:
2 T. margarine or butter
2 medium onions, chopped (I only used 1 1/2)
1 clove garlic, minced
Stir in:
1 lb. ground beef
Brown well. Dissolve in 2 1/3 c. reserved liquid (I had to add more water):
2 beef bouillon cubes
Add liquid to meat mixture; cover and simmer 10 minutes. Stir in:
reserved lentils
2 T. long-grain rice
1 t. sugar
1 t. salt
1 t. ground cumin (I used 2 because I love it)
1/2 t. pepper
Bring to boil, reduce heat, cover, and simmer 30 minutes, or until lentils and rice are tender and liquid is absorved (add more liquid if necessary). Check seasonsings and stir in:
1 T. cider vinegar (I used apple cider vinegar because I had it)
Top with parsley sprinkle. (I didn't)
Posted by sarahward at 7:12 PM | Comments (2) | TrackBack
September 5, 2006
Yogurt Pie/Infant Hair Gel
Kirk and I have been on the South Beach Diet and an awesome exercising "for lack of better word, routine." So we've been having a lot of sugar-free chocolate pudding and jello for dessert these days. But, it can get old. Here's an awesome twist to the jello that's allowed on the diet...just don't eat the whole pie.
I used rasberry flavoring for everything and didn't put in any fruit because I didn't have any. Next time I'm gonna try using chocolate pudding instead of the jello and see if that works.
1 pkg sugar-free jello, any flavor
1/4 C very hot water
1 1/2 C plain fat free yogurt
1 tub crystal ligh or other sugar-free drink mix
8 oz light cool whip
1/2 C pecans (I used a bit more)
1 T margarine (I used cooking spray)
fruit, optional
Butter (spray) a pie plate with margarine. Crush the pecans in a food processor and pour into pie plate. Pat the crushed nuts into a crust. Pour hot water-almost boiling (or rather, boiled and then turned off because I wasn't ready for it yet) into jello in a large bowl and wisk together thoroughly. Add yogurt and whisk until well mixed. Gently stir in thawed cool whip and fruit just until blended (make sure you get all the stuff at the bottom mixed in). Pour into crust and refrigerate at least one hour.
*No, I didn't really put any in Joanna's hair. Just thought you might want to see a picture of her. We feel like we haven't seen anyone in a long time because she's been sick for 2 weeks and now has two ear infections.
Posted by sarahward at 11:38 AM | Comments (8) | TrackBack
August 29, 2006
Snot Bubble
Joanna's been sick with a cold. But it brought some great laughs this morning.
On another note, we had an awesome new dinner last night and I'd like to share the recipe. I got it out of the crockpot cookbook that came with my crockpot.
Pork and Apples:
- 2 cans mushroom soup
- 1/2 C water
- 1 T brown sugar
- 1 T Worcestershire sauce
- 1 t thyme
- 4 large Granny Smith apples, peeled and sliced
- 1 large onion, sliced
- 8 boneless pork chops, 3/4 inch thick
Mix soup, water, brown sugar, Worshestershire & thyme in crockpot. Add apples, onions, and pork. Cover and cook on low 8-9 hours or on high 4-5 hours or until done.
Posted by sarahward at 11:52 AM | Comments (5) | TrackBack
June 27, 2006
Chocolate Chip Cookies
We had a Worship Team party this past weekend and I made some chocolate chip cookies and brownies to try to entice team members to come. We had a wonderful time of singing and eating and socializing. Several people asked me for my recipes so I thought I’d just go ahead and post them. I will first confess that neither recipe is mine; though the idea of mixing up the chocolate chips was (I call them “reconciliation cookies”). Enjoy!
This chocolate chip cookie recipe is my mom’s. Be sure that you do not overcook them. They may not seem done after 8-9 minutes, but just let them sit on the cookie sheet for a little.
Beat the following ingredients until fluffy:
- 2/3 cup shortening
- 2/3 cup margarine
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 cup brown sugar
Add to the fluffy :) ingredients:
- 2 eggs
- 2 teaspoons vanilla
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 4 cups flour
- 2 cups chocolate chips
Make into cookies on an ungreased cookie sheet and cook at 375º for 8-9 minutes.
Posted by sarahward at 10:50 AM | Comments (1) | TrackBack
Brownies
We call these "Rinnie's Brownies." I'm not sure where my sister got the recipe but it's the best...especially eaten warm with some vanilla ice cream!
INGREDIENTS:
- 2 cups flour
- 2 cups sugar
- ¼ cup cocoa (heaping)
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 4 eggs
- 1 cup oil
- 2 teaspoons vanilla
- 2 cups chocolate chips (last time I used half semi-sweet and half white)
DIRECTIONS:
Mix all ingredients together. Bake at 350° for 30 minutes in greased 9 x 13 pan.
Posted by sarahward at 10:40 AM | Comments (2) | TrackBack
June 21, 2006
Steak Marinate
It's been a long time since I put a recipe on here. We got Kirk a grill for Father's Day and celebrated by grilling steaks. We had a wonderful feast with steak, sweet potato fries, salad with cilantro-lime viniagret, some pesto, and wine (sun tea for me). It was wonderful and even more so b/c Joanna took a nap during the grilling process so Kirk and I got to sit outside together listening to the sounds of summer and peaceful humming of the baby monitor. The following recipe is from a friend of my mom's Linda Ropp who's daughter was/is one of Anna's best friends from Kenya.
- 1 small jar soy sauce (I don't know how much that is, we just put some in)
- 2 T molasses
- 2 T oil
- 2 t dry mustard
- 2 t ginger
- 2 t meat tenderizer
- chopped garlic (I used 1 clove)
Posted by sarahward at 10:24 AM | Comments (1) | TrackBack
March 22, 2006
Roopa Vieja: Cuban-"Old Clothes"
Here's an awesome crockpot recipe that we had last weekend when the Wards were in town for Joanna's baptism.
Ingredients:
1 1/2 C. chicken broth
1/4 C sherry vinegar (I used white wine vinegar b/c I had it around)
2 stalks celery, sliced
1 large onion, chopped
1 red bell pepper, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 T cumin
1 t salt
1/2 t pepper
3 lb flank steak, cut in thirds
1/2 C packed cilantro, chopped
1/2 C chopped pickled jalapenos
10 corn tortillas
Directions:
1. Combine broth, vinegar, celery, onion, bell pepper, garlic, cumin, salt & pepper in 6 qt. slow cooker. Add beef, submerging it by tucking the vegetables under, over and between the pieces.
2. Put the lid on and cook on low until the meat is fork-tender, about 8 hours.
3. Transfer the meat to a cutting board; let stand for 10 min. Shred the meat with 2 forks and return it to the slow cooker. Stir in cilantro. Garnish with jalapeno and sour cream and tortillas on the side.
Posted by sarahward at 3:12 PM | Comments (2) | TrackBack
February 6, 2006
Chicken and Sweet Potato Stew
My mom wanted this recipe from me so I'll just post it here. We had it this past Sunday and it was really yummy.
Ingredients:
- 6 chicken thighs, skin removed, trimmed of fat
- 2 lb sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into spears
- 1/2 lb white button mushrooms, thinly sliced
- 6 large shallots, peeled and halved
- 4 cloves garlic, peeled
- 1 C dry white wine
- 2 t chopped fresh rosemary (or 1/2 t dried rosemary, crushed)
- 1 t salt
- 1/2 t freshly ground pepper
- 1 1/2 T white-wine vinegar
Directions:
Place chicken, sweet potatoes, mushrooms, shallots, garlic, wine, rosemary, salt and pepper in a 6 quart slow cooker; stir to combine. Put the lid on and cook on low until the potatoes are tender, about 5 hours. Before serving, remove bones from chicken, if desired, and stir in vinegar. (Oops, I put the vinegar in in the beginning. Oh well, it still turned out fine.)
Posted by Kirk Ward at 7:13 PM | Comments (3) | TrackBack
February 4, 2006
Whole-Wheat Irish Soda Bread
(Please see additional new photos by clicking on the Flicker icon down on the right.)
Another recipe I got from an Eating Well magazine. This has been a favorite of ours. We had it last night with some turkey soup I made with turkey/broth my mom froze after Christmas. It's really fast and easy to mix together, but watch out because it takes a while to cook. There have been several times dinner is ready and then we have to wait an extra 30 min for the bread (an aweful thing to do to a pregnant woman). My sister, Rinnie, used this to make bread bowls and said it worked well.
Ingredients:
- 2 C whole-wheat flour
- 2 C flour
- 1 t baking soda
- 1 t salt
- 2 1/4 C butter milk
1. Preheat oven to 450. Coat a baking sheet with cooking spray and sprinkle with a little flour.
2. Whisk whole-wheat flour, all-purpose flour, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl. Using one hand, stir in full circles (starting in the center of the bowl working toward the outside of the bowl) until all the flour is incorporated. The dough should be soft but not too wet and sticky (it's always too wet and sticky for me). When it all comes together, in a matter of seconds, turn it onto a well-floured surface. Clean dough off your hand.
3. Pat and roll the dough gently with floury hands, just enough to tidy it up and give it a round shape. Flip over and flatten slightly to about 2 inches. Transfer the loaf to the prepared baking sheet. Mark with a deep cross using a serrated knife and prick each of the four quadrants.
4. Back the bread for 20 min. Reduce oven temperature to 400 and continue to bake until the loaf is brown on top and sounds hollow when tapped, 30-35 min (I only cook it 20 more min, but my oven is funny like that). Transfer the loaf to a wire rack and let cool for about 30 min.
Makes one 2lb loaf (12 slices).
Per slice: 165 calories, 1 g fat, 2 mg cholesterol, 31 g carbohydrate, 7 g protein, 3 g fiber, 347 mg sodium.
Posted by sarahward at 3:10 PM | TrackBack
January 20, 2006
Loaded Twice-Baked Potatoes
It's been a long time since I've put a recipe on my blog...it's been a lot time since I've cooked. Here's a new one from Eating Well, a magazine Kirk and I subscribe to.
INGREDIENTS:
- 4 meduim potatoes
- 8 oz ground beef
- 1 C broccoli florets, finely chopped
- 1 C water
- 1 C cheddar cheese
- 1/2 C sour cream
- 1/2 t salt
- 1/4 t pepper
- 3 scallions, sliced (I omitted these, yuk!)
DIRECTIONS: (my simplified version)
1. Bake potatoes in microwave, or oven if you have the time.
2. Meanwhile, brown meat in skillet. Drain. Put in large bowl and set aside. Cook broccoli and water on high until broccoli is tender (about 4-5 min.). Drain broccoli and add it to the meat.
3. Cut off the top third of the baked potatoes. Spread the tops with butter and eat while still hot. Scoop out the insides and put in a medium bowl. Place potato shells in a small baking dish.
4. Add 1/2 C cheese, sour cream, salt and pepper (I also added some milk to make them creamier) to potato insides and mash with a fork or potato masher.
5. Add scallions and potato mixture to the broccoli and meat; stir to combine.
6. Evenly divide the potato mixture among the potato shells and top with the remaining 1/2 C cheese. Microwave on high until the filling is hot and the cheese has melted, 2-4 min.
7. Eat! If you're crazy about sour cream like me you will put more on the top before eating them.
Posted by sarahward at 12:08 PM | TrackBack
November 16, 2005
Creole Chicken: Pollo Guisado
This is a fantastic quick dish to cook up...once it's marinated. We've made it twice and I believe I cried during dinner each time. Don't worry, it was from the pregnancy hormones, not the food. The recipe is from the Dominican Republic . I got it from Extending the Table.
Mix:
3 ½ lb. chicken pieces
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 ½ t. dried oregano
1 t. salt
2 t. lemon juice or vinegar
½ t. pepper
2 t. Worcestershire sauce
1 bay leaf
1 green pepper, cut in strips
1-2 medium onions, sliced
2 T. fresh parsley, chopped (optional)
1 T. cilantro, chopped (optional)
2 whole allspice (optional)
Marinate 1 hour or longer.
In saucepan, heat 2 T. oil
Add:
1 t. brown sugar
Remove chicken pieces from spice mixture and brown in oil.
Add:
Spice mixture
¼ c. tomato paste
1 c. water
Cover and cook until soft, adding water if necessary. Serve with rice and spoon sauce over rice. Garnish with capers and/or olives (optional).
Posted by sarahward at 5:00 PM | TrackBack
September 16, 2005
Puppy Chow
-2 C chocolate chips
-½ C butter
-1 C creamy peanut butter
-1 (12 oz. box Crispix or Chex cereal)
- 1 (1 lb.) package powdered sugar
1. Melt chocolate chips and butter in saucepan.
2. Blend in peanut butter. Add cereal; toss to coat.
3. Coat with powdered sugar.
4. Enjoy!
From: Sarah Ward (from All American Snacks)
Posted by sarahward at 8:29 PM | TrackBack
Spicy Cheddar Biscuits
- 4 C Bisquick mix
- ¼ C (1/2 stick) butter, room temperature
- 1 C shredded cheddar cheese (sharp cheddar is best)
- 1 ¼ C milk
- Salt and cayenne pepper to taste (at least ¼ t. each)
- Optional: substitute garlic salt for salt.
1. Pre-heat oven to 425.
2. In a large bowl, combine Bisquick, salt, and cayenne pepper.
3. Add butter and shredded cheese until well-mixed.
4. Add milk gradually, stirring until consistency is wet but thick (holds together when lifted with spoon).
5. Drop by teaspoonful onto an ungreased cookie sheet at least 1” apart, or fill individual muffin tins 2/3 full.
6. Bake 9-11 minutes or until biscuits are lightly browned on top.
7. Serve. (Biscuits are best enjoyed while still warm.)
From: Carrie Jones (quick version of her grandmother’s recipe)
Posted by sarahward at 8:17 PM | TrackBack
Beth’s Chocolate Chip Cookies
-2 ½ C all-purpose flour
-1 t baking soda
-½ t salt
-1 C shortening
-1 ½ C packed brown sugar
-2 eggs
-1 ½ t vanilla
-1 12 oz. package (2 C) chocolate chips
1. Pre-heat oven to 375.
2. In a medium-sized bowl, stir together flour, baking soda, and salt.
3. In a large bowl, stir together shortening, brown sugar, eggs, and vanilla until mixture is smooth.
4. Add dry ingredients to sugar and shortening mixture and beat until well combined.
5. Stir in chocolate chips.
6. Roll cookies into small balls or drop from a teaspoon onto an ungreased cookie sheet. Cookie sheet should fit 12-16 cookies.
7. Bake in oven fore 8-10 minutes or until tops of cookies are golden brown.
8. Remove cookies and cool for 10 minutes.
9. Enjoy (preferably with milk)!
From: Beth Buerge
Posted by sarahward at 8:06 PM | TrackBack
Black Bean Mango Salsa
-1 ½ C cooked black beans (1 15 oz. can)
-1 ripe mango, peeled and diced
-½ C diced red bell peppers
-2 T parsley (better if fresh)
-1 T cilantro (better if fresh)
-1 minced fresh green chile (seeded for a milder hot)
-1 pressed garlic clove
-1/3 C orange juice
-1 T fresh lemon juice
-¼ t salt
Rinse the canned beans and drain well. Transfer to a large bowl and add the mango, bell peppers, parsley, cilantro, chile, garlic, orange juice, lemon juice, and salt. Mix thoroughly. Top with nasturtiums and mint leaves, if desired. Serve with corn chips.
From: Heather Johnson (from the Moosewood Restaurant New Classics cookbook)
Posted by sarahward at 7:55 PM | TrackBack
September 7, 2005
Easy Lentil Stew
Bring to a boil and simmer 20 minutes:
- 1 c. lentils
- 2½ c. water
- 2 beef bouillon cubes
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 t. salt
Add to lentils:
- ½ lb. diced ham, browned sausage, or browned ground beef
- ¾ c. tomato paste (one 6 oz. can)
- 2 c. water
- ¼ t. oregano
- 1 t. salt
- 1 onion, chopped
- 2 stalks celery, chopped
- 1 clove garlic, minced
Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer 20-30 minutes until vegetables are tender. Serve plain or over rice.
From the More-with-Less Cookbook
I used some moong split dahl we got in the Atlanta Farmer’s Market with the Knutsons, polish kielbasa, and only half an onion. We had it over rice with chapattis. YUMMY!
Posted by Kirk Ward at 7:18 PM | Comments (1) | TrackBack
August 24, 2005
Curried Ground Meat
Kirk and I LOVED this new recipe. It was a nice every day sort of dish with an extra umph to it that made it extra yummy. We would recommend adding more water and maybe even some peas. This would be great to eat with chapatis.
Combine and cook until vegetables are tender:
-2 1/2 C ground meat, browned (620 ml)
-1 1/2 C water (370 ml)
-1 t salt (5 ml)
-2 onions, chopped
-10-12 meduim carrots, cubed
-4-5 medium potatoes, cubed or other vegetable
When vegetables are cooked, mix separately with a little water:
-1 T each flour and curry powder (15 ml)
Add to meat and cook for 5 minutes.
This recipe came from "The Wycliffe International Cookbook" which was given to me as a gift from my older sister Rinnie when I got married with the note, "They say that the was to a man's heart is through his stomach..." How true. Come to think of it, the way to my heart is also through my stomach. :)
Posted by sarahward at 5:05 PM | Comments (1) | TrackBack
August 10, 2005
Fish with Mangos (Kenya)
My mom used to make out her weekly meal plans each Sunday during the announcements at church. I make mine out Saturday morning before I go out to do my shopping. I have so many cookbooks since my mom and older sister have been giving one to me for every birthday and Christmas it seems since I went to college. I love it! I like to try a new recipe each week, if possible. So I've decided that I will begin to share these new recipes with the world (the world that reads this blog at least). Yesterday we tried out the following recipe from Extending the Table... (a highly recommended international cook book "in the spirit of More-with-Less"). This recipe, however, we do not highly recommend. In fact, I wouldn't recommend it at all unless you like fish. We also didn't have any chili peppers which probably took a lot of the taste out of it. Let us know what you think.
Combine in frypan:
- 2 lb. white fish steaks, cut in large pieces (1 kg)
- approx. 3/4 c. water (175 ml)
- 1 onion, thinly sliced or chopped
- 2 tomatoes, peeled and chopped
- 2 mangoes, peeled and chopped
- 1-2 chili peppers, seeded and chopped
- 1/2-1 t. salt (2-5 ml)
Cover and simmer gently 20 minutes, or until cooked through.
Serve with rice.
Option: Substitue peaches for mangoes.
Posted by sarahward at 6:39 PM | Comments (4) | TrackBack