Tried and True Recipe: Mint Chocolate Cookies

I started making these cookies many years ago. I love them. And just this year for the first time, my kids were asking me about them before Christmas. So I guess that means they are officially loved by the whole family and are now a Christmas tradition. I just had to google this to find out where the recipe I had printed out came from. And it’s Rachel Ray’s recipe. Well, thankyouverymuch Rachel Ray. This recipe alone is worth the hassle of finding/bringing candy canes to Africa each year!

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 stick (6 ounces) unsalted butter, softened
• 1 1/2 cups confectioners’ sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1 1/2 cups flour
• 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 pinch salt
• Two 3.5 -ounce bars dark chocolate , finely chopped
• 1/2 teaspoon vegetable oil
• 2/3 cup finely crushed peppermint candy canes or candies

Instructions

1. Using an electric mixer, beat the butter until soft. With the mixer on low, gradually add the confectioners’ sugar until creamy, then beat in the egg. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa and salt; add to the mixer about one-third at a time, beating at low speed until smooth.

2. Lay a 16-inch sheet of parchment paper on a work surface; turn out the dough onto the paper. Using your hands, shape the dough into a 12-inch-long cylinder; wrap tightly in the parchment and roll into a smooth, even log. Twist the ends to seal and refrigerate for 30 minutes; reshape the cylinder and refrigerate for 30 minutes more.

3. Preheat the oven to 350°; line 2 cookie sheets with parchment paper. Unwrap the dough; using a sharp knife, slice into 1/3-inch-thick rounds. Place about 1 inch apart on the cookie sheets; bake until firm, 18 to 20 minutes. Let cool completely. (I often take them out early, while they are still soft because we prefer a soft cookie to a crispy one.)

4. In a bowl, combine two-thirds of the chopped chocolate with the oil; microwave for 30 seconds, then stir until smooth. (If needed, heat for additional 10-second intervals.) Stir in the remaining chopped chocolate until smooth.

5. Using an offset spatula, spread a scant teaspoon of melted chocolate on top of each cookie. Sprinkle the peppermints on top and let stand until set, 2 to 3 hours.

Tried and True Recipe–Sweet and Spicy Chicken

This is a keeper. I don’t know how I found this recipe from Natasha’s Kitchen, but I’m sure glad I did!

I come back to this recipe all the time. It’s my go-to chicken recipe. If I have some of this chicken on hand, I can do so much with it! Enchiladas, top a salad, burrito bowls, have kids dip it in ketchup, throw it in soup, put it with rice, eat a bit here and there straight out of the fridge throughout the day… really the options are endless. I love it so much because it has FLAVOR and it’s versatile! And easy.

It is an oven recipe. I’ve tried it in the crock pot a few times and it's not the same. Bummer.


Okay, so I’m no food photographer and that doesn’t look so appetizing. But just take my word for it, okay?!


Aaaaand I’ll type it out cause my handwriting is embarrassingly horrible.

Natasha’s Sweet and Spicy Chicken
4 chicken breasts (I usually bake mine cut up in small pieces, but you don't have to)
3 T ketchup
2 T vinegar
1 T lemon juice
2 T Worcestershire
1/2 c water
2 T melted butter
3 T brown sugar
1 t dry mustard
1 t salt
1 t chili powder (I use less)

Preheat oven to 450.
Combine all sauce ingredients and simmer for a few minutes.
Pour the sauce over the chicken in a 9 x 13 pan.
Use tongs to coat the chicken in the sauce.
Cover tightly with foil and bake for 10 mins.
Reduce heat to 350 for 1.5 hours more.
When done baking, pull the chicken with forks and let it soak up the juice. Or don’t. Cause I don’t always.

Enjoy!

Tried and True Recipe: Focaccia

I’ve been making this recipe for years. Fresh bread is always popular at meals, and this one is so easy. The recipe calls for rosemary on top, but we usually use zataar, which is a Middle Eastern spice blend.

Ingredients for Easy Focaccia

• 1 1/2 cups bread flour (or use all regular flour if you want)
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1 tablespoon white sugar
• 1 (.25 ounce) package instant yeast
• 1 1/3 cups warm water (110 degrees F/45 degrees C)
• 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary
• 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

Directions

1. In a large bowl, stir together the flours and salt. Make a well in the center of the flour mixture. Sprinkle the sugar and yeast into that well. Carefully pour the water into the well. Let stand until the yeast begins to act, about 5 minutes. Pour 2 tablespoons of the oil into the well. With a wooden spoon stir the mixture in the center of the bowl. Gradually widen the circle of stirring to take in all of the flour at the sides of the well.
2. Turn out on a floured surface, and knead just until smooth. Keep the dough soft. Pour 1/2 teaspoon of the oil into a clean bowl. Place the dough in the bowl, turning once to oil the top. Cover. Let rise until doubled, 30 to 45 minutes.
3. Punch the dough down. Use 1 teaspoon of the oil to coat a baking sheet, and place the dough on the baking sheet. Gently press the dough out to about 1/2 inch thickness. Pour the remaining 1 1/2 teaspoons oil over the top of the dough. Make dimples in the top with your fingertips. Sprinkle with the rosemary and the cheese. Place in a cold oven on the center shelf. Place a flat pan of hot water on the shelf below the bread. (or don’t). Let rise until doubled, 20 to 25 minutes.
4. Turn on the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Bake the focaccia for 20 to 25 minutes, or until browned on top. Remove from the pan, and cool or serve.

Tried and True Recipe–Flapjacks

This was adapted from my Wycliffe Cookbook. I started making these years ago because there is loads of fiber in there between the oats, the raisins and the coconut. It’s def a treat though!

Flapjacks

combine:
2 c oatmeal
1 c sugar (I use less)
1/2 t salt
1/3 c oil
2 eggs
2 T milk
then mix in:
1/2 c raisins
1/2 c choc chips (um... no fiber in these, but they sure are delicious!)
1 c. shredded coconut

Press into the bottom of a greased loaf pan and bake until golden brown.

Tried and True Recipe: Honey Garlic Meatballs

 

I made these meatballs several months ago for my family and they were delicious! I then proceeded to make them for every set of dinner guests we hosted for the next few months. Because when I find a recipe that works… I stick with it.

So that DEFINITELY makes these ‘Tried and True’.

All thanks goes to fabulesslyfrugal.com for this recipe:

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 1/3 cup honey
• 1/2 cup ketchup
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 28 ounces fully cooked, frozen meatballs

Instructions

1. In a medium bowl, mix together the brown sugar, honey, ketchup, soy sauce, and garlic.
2. Place frozen meatballs in a 4-quart slow cooker and pour the sauce over them. Stir to coat. Cook on low for 4 hours, stirring occasionally.
3. Serve as an appetizer, or over rice or noodles as a meal. (Or freeze to warm up another day)

Tried and True Recipes–Mama’s Banana Bread

When we lived in Africa I made A LOT of banana bread. Often times it was a quadruple batch at one time. It was just a good snack/breakfast in a country where everything had to be made from scratch. I sometimes used wheat flour and flax seeds and vegetables to make it healthy. At some points in time I was sneaking so many vegetables in it (mostly carrots and zucchini) that it wasn’t really sneaky at all and I started calling it Garden Bread!

I tried many different banana bread recipes as ‘base recipes’ over the years.

But after all these years I always come back to this one. And now all the others have gone in the garbage. The only one left is…

… my Mama’s.

It’s simple. It’s delicious. And it ALWAYS gets compliments.

So here you have it:

• 1/2 c butter
• 3/4 c brown sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 1/4 c mashed banana (or more, or less!)
• 1/4 c plain yogurt
• 1 1/2 cup whole wheat flour
• 3/4 t salt
• 1 t baking soda
• (a handful of chocolate chips for good measure) *optional

Cream butter and sugar. Beat in egg. Beat in the remaining ingredients. One bowl, halleluiah!

Oven 350 for 50-60 minutes if using one large loaf pan.

Sometimes simple is best. Love ya Mama!

Tried and True Recipes: Peanut Butter Pie

Growing up, we always ate this pie for my Dad’s birthday. I’ve started doing the same for my birthday.  My birthday is right between H’s and N’s, so I’m generally not in the mood for more cake. But I am ALWAYS in the mood for celebrating with something sweet.

I used to think it was the most complicated recipe and that it took my Mom the whole day to make it. And while it is quite a bit more complicated than a box cake mix and a jar of icing, it’s not much more complicated than a lot of things I’ve learned to cook here in the desert. Here we do things from scratch… so most recipes have more components to prepare and take longer anyway.

What I’m saying is that it used to be such a long and complicated recipe to me, but now it’s just a little longer than average.

Here we go. There are four components:

1. A pre-baked pie crust Your favorite recipe will do. Or google it. Or get a  pre-prepared one from the freezer section if you want. Doesn’t matter. I did my crust from scratch a couple days ahead of time and froze it and then thawed it when I was ready for the rest of the pie.

2. Peanut Butter Crumbles Mix 1/3 cup peanut butter with 3/4 cup confectioners sugar. Should look mealy. I also did this ahead of time and kept it in the fridge. I’m a do-things-ahead-if-I-can kinda gal, in case you never noticed.

3. Pie Filling

2 cups scalded milk (heat it in a pot on the stove until just the edges start to bubble)

3 beaten egg yolks (save the whites for the meringue)

1/3 cup flour

1/8 teaspoon salt

2 T butter

1/2 t vanilla

Combine flour, sugar, milk and salt in a double boiler. Cook over boiling water until thick. Stir in egg yolks gradually. Cook a few minutes longer. Add butter and vanilla and stir. Cool slightly.

4. Meringue (I do this while my filling cools a bit)

3 egg whites

1/4 t cream of tarter

1/2 c sugar

1 t cornstarch

Beat egg whites until foamy, add cream of tarter, then mix cornstarch and sugar together and add gradually, beating well between additions. Beat until stiff.

Now, putting it all together…

-Sprinkle two-thirds of peanut butter crumble on baked pie shell

-Pour pie filling over the peanut butter crumble. (If mine looks lumpy, then I push it through a sieve on the way.)

-Spread meringue on top of filling.

-Sprinkle remainder of peanut butter crumble on top of meringue.

-Bake at 350 for 15 minutes.

-Cool, then chill before serving

Oh my word. This is a delicious pie. Thanks Mama, for the recipe!

Tried and True Recipe: Lemon Wacky Cake

(Shown here with fresh strawberry sauce)

Chocolate Wacky Cake is the cake I make most often. It doesn’t use butter (so expensive here), but it still is very moist and delicious.

This is another kind of wacky cake. Lemon! They call it ‘wacky’ because it rises using the age old volcano science experiment combination of baking soda and vinegar. You can’t taste the vinegar, don’t worry.

Some people also call them ‘depression cakes’ because they are SO cheap to make… with no eggs or butter! Another reason to love them? You hardly dirty any dishes in the process.

Whisk together in medium bowl:

1 1/2 c flour

1 c sugar

1 t baking soda

1/2 t salt

Then add:

6 T oil

1 T vinegar

1 t almond extract (I skip this)

1/4 c fresh squeezed lemon juice (use more lemon juice and less water if you want a stronger flavor)

3/4 c cold water

Pour in greased 8 by 8 or 9 by 9 inch pan

Bake for 35 minutes at 350 degrees F.

Glory! Could a cake get ANY easier?

Tried and True Recipes–Potato and Vegetable Frittata

This is one my favorite recipes, and once again… it’s vegetarian! Also, I don’t know where I got it, sorry. And you’ll need an oven-safe skillet for this.

1 t olive oil
1/2 c chopped onion
1 clove garlic, minced (I use at least 4)
1/2 c diced green pepper (I skip this if I don’t have them)
1 zucchini, halved lengthwise and sliced 1/4 inch thick (I use two huge ones usually)
2 c cooked and diced potatoes (I bake them ahead of time)
1 c chopped fresh tomato
2 T black olives (I skip this)
4 eggs (or more)
salt and pepper to taste
1/4 t dried oregano
1 pinch cayenne (I skip this)

Topping:
1 tomato, sliced
1/4 c shredded mozzarella
1/4 c grated parmesan (I skip this and add more mozzarella)

-Preheat broiler.
-In frying pan with ovenproof handle heat oil and saute onion, garlic and green pepper over low heat. Saute until vegetables are tender but not browned.
-Add zuchhini and then potatoes a few minutes later. Cook until potatoes are heated through and start sticking to the pan.
-Add tomatoes and olives and cook until tomatoes begin to give up juice.
-Meanwhile, beat eggs with salt, peppers and oregano.
-Pour eggs over vegetables. (If my veggies aren’t covered, I usually beat and add a couple more eggs).
-Arrange tomato slices over top and sprinkle cheese.
-Cook over low heat until eggs are almost set (firm on the edges but still runny in the middle)
-Slip pan under broiler until eggs  are set and cheese is browning.
-Cut in wedges and serve. (Also heats up wonderfully in the oven for leftovers the next day.)

Tried and True Recipes: Pure Veg Spaghetti Sauce

This recipe is actually a Suzanne original! I made it up myself, thankyouverymuch.

This recipe makes a LOT of spaghetti sauce. Couldn’t tell you exactly how much. I freeze it in smaller amounts to use later on.

Here’s what you’ll need:

1 kilo (around 2 lbs) each of onion, carrots, zucchini, tomatoes and eggplant.

Also, 1 can tomato paste and 1 packet of Spaghetti Sauce Mix (or skip the seasoning packet if you want to do all of your own seasoning).

A small helper is not necessary, but fun if you’ve got one sittin’ around.

The big job is preparing each of the vegetables.

Onions are peeled, diced and pureed (warning: might bring on tears).

Carrot are peeled and chopped.

Zucchini is scrubbed, chopped and pureed with some water to thin it out.

Tomatoes are blanched and cooled, peeled and quartered.

Eggplant is baked, peeled and pureed.

Dump it all into a big pot and simmer for awhile. Look at that rainbow of color and nutrients!

As it cooks, season it further with garlic powder, salt and Italian spices until it tastes just right to you.

Puree once more when the carrots are cooked soft (you’re going to either love your stick blender at this point in the day or you’re going to really wish you had one!)

And that’s it. Pure vegetable spaghetti sauce with great flavor, a nice hearty thickness and incredibly healthy too!

Tried and True Recipe: Chocolate Wacky Cake

I think this could be my second favorite cake recipe. Number one probably has to go to Betty Crocker’s from scratch Pineapple Upside-Down Cake.

This chocolate cake is called wacky because it uses vinegar! Blech, you think? Think again! It’s delicious. It uses the reaction between baking soda and vinegar (think elementary school volcano experiments) to raise the cake. And it's an amazingly moist cake, which is difficult to produce from scratch in the desert! Glory to The Wycliffe Cookbook for this one. Lucky for me, I got this cookbook before they started charging 84 bucks (Whaaaat?!). Think of all the money I’m saving you by posting this recipe here. You can thank me later, after you make this and love it!

Mix Together:
1 2/3 c flour
1/3 cup cocoa
1 t baking soda
½ t salt
1 cup sugar

Then mix together separately and add to previous mixture:
1 cup water
5 T oil
1 t vanilla
1 T vinegar

Bake:
350 for 30 mins (in 9 by 9 pan)

Tried and True Recipes–Whole Wheat Pancakes

I love breakfasty/brunchy food. I just told a friend today that I think it’s one of my love languages. Ha! Problem is, it’s usually not so healthy.

But these pancakes are super wholesome and really delicious too! Make sure your baking powder is fresh though, or else these will gag you. Funny what a difference that one small thing can make (learned that from experience).

Glory, once again, to my fav food blog… www.skinnytaste.com!

Ingredients:

• 2 cups whole wheat flour (I used white whole wheat)
• 4 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 2 tsp cinnamon
• 2 tsp sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 2 cups + 2 tbsp fat free milk
• 2 tsp vanilla
• cooking spray

Directions:
Mix all dry ingredients in a bowl. Add wet ingredients to the mixing bowl and mix well with a spoon until there are no more dry spots; don't over-mix.

Heat a large skillet on medium heat. Lightly spray oil to coat and pour 1/4 cup of pancake batter. When the bubbles settle and the edges begin to set, flip the pancakes. Repeat with the remainder of the batter.
Makes 14 pancakes.

(Recipe taken from here!)

Tried and True Recipes: Carrot Apple Muffins

Glory to Joy of Cooking for this one.  It’s new to my repertoire, but upon first taste, I knew it was a keeper.

1/2 c pecans or walnuts, toasted (or use no nuts, like I usually do)

2 c grated raw carrot

1 large apple, peeled and grated (I did 2)

2 c flour (I usually mix white and wheat)

1 1/4 c white sugar (or less

3/4 t baking soda

1 1/2 t baking powder

1/2 t salt

1 1/2 t cinnamon (or more)

3 large eggs

3/4 c oil

1 t vanilla

Whisk all dry ingredients together. Separately mix the three wet ingredients.  Combine dry and wet, along with the grated produce together, mixing only until moist.

Put in muffin cups (makes around 18 normal sized muffins).

Bake 20-25 mins at 350 (180 C).

Tried and True Recipes: Tomato Bread Soup

Glory to The Fannie Farmer Cookbook for this delicious soup recipe. I have to say that sometimes I like to call it Tomato Basil Soup instead of Tomato Bread Soup, cause let’s be honest… Tomato Bread Soup sounds a bit odd.  But whatever, it is what it is!  Miss Fannie obviously thought her name was just fine. It is - if nothing else - accurate, seeing as you do boil bread in the soup, if you’ve ever heard of such a thing, which I hadn’t until I started making this years ago.

Let’s get to it:

Heat in skillet and cook until soft:

5 T olive oil

             1 onion, sliced thin

Then add:  

1 1/2-2 cups peeled and chopped tomatoes (or don’t peel them, if you’re lazy like me sometimes)

6 oz tomato paste

Cook entire skillet mixture on low heat for 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, combine in large pan on stove:    

7 cups water

             4 cups chicken broth (I use bouillon)

              1 loaf (give or take) Italian (or other) bread ripped up

3 large cloves garlic, minced

              2 t salt (omit if you used bouillon for chicken broth)

2 T dried basil

Salt and pepper to taste

Bring to simmer for 5 minutes.

Combine contents of skillet into big pot off heat, stir, puree (those with stick blenders, rejoice!).

Done.

Amen and Halleluiah. You now have  enough soup to warm the bones of a small army.

Tried and True Recipes: Nilanthi’s Quiche

I don’t think my friend Nilanthi even knows that I have her recipe – or that it’s one of my favorites! It’s so easy and delicious… I have served it often to guests. It’s a company pleaser, for sure. The beauty of this quiche is that it doesn’t require a crust. You mix the flour right in with the eggs and it sets up and serves beautifully without the hassle of making a pastry crust.

Nilanthi’s Quiche:

¾ cup flour

1 cup Cheese (any sort, really)

1 ½ milk (whole milk may work best)

3 eggs

Fillings: Whatever strikes your fancy…sausage, sweet corn, onions, bacon, chicken, tuna, spinach, broccoli, etc.

Bake 20-30min in hot oven (is that specific, or what?!)

To increase recipe: Use ½ cup milk for each egg and bake longer.

The three egg recipe fills a 9 by 9ish size pan. If you double it, it does well in a 9 by 13 pan.

Tried and True Recipes: Linguine with Zucchini and Chickpeas

Glory to Real Simple for this recipe (and the photo). This is another vegetarian recipe that is simple and delicious. I especially love the chickpeas in this recipe… they add protein and good flavor too.

• 12 ounces linguine (3/4 box) ( I use whole wheat noodles when I can find them)
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 3 small zucchini, cut into thin half-moons (I use way more than this, zucchini cooks down a lot and the more veg, the better!)
• kosher salt (or regular salt, duh)
• 1 15-ounce can chickpeas, rinsed
• 2 cloves garlic, sliced (or more… this is your main flavorer, if that’s a word)
• 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper (too hot for me!)
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan (2 ounces)

Directions

1. Cook the pasta according to the package directions. Reserve ½ cup of the pasta water, drain, and return the pasta to the pot.
2. Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the zucchini and ½ teaspoon salt.
3. Cook the zucchini, tossing often, until just tender, 4 to 5 minutes.
4. Add the chickpeas, garlic, and red pepper and cook until heated through, 2 to 3 minutes.
5. Toss the pasta with the reserved pasta water and ¼ cup of the Parmesan.
6. Divide the pasta among bowls and top with the zucchini mixture and the remaining ¼ cup of Parmesan.

Tried and True Recipe: Bean and Veg Burritos

Glory to some Woman’s Day Magazine for this recipe. I’ve had it for years on this little rip-out card.

Although mine never look quite that delicious…

One reason I love this recipe is because all the prep can be done ahead of time and then when you’re ready to cook, it just takes about ten minutes to heat it up and get it on the table.

Here my stuff just sat out on the counter until I was ready to whip it up in time for dinner. I love it when I can do preparations ahead of time!

Saute for about 6 mins on medium high heat in a little oil:

1 zucchini (about 8 oz.), diced (I use more than this)

1 2/3 c. sliced onion (does not need to be that exact)

Add and stir 30 secs until fragrant:

a pinch of chili powder (or more or less or almost none, if you’re spice wimps like us)

Add:

1 bag (10 oz) fresh spinach, coarsely chopped, a handful at a time (or fresh arugula, which is what we have in Africa)

Stir in and cook until heated:

1 can black beans, rinsed (or pre-cooked, frozen and then thawed white beans, if you’re us)

1 can corn, drained

Serve in tortillas with sour cream (or plain yogurt), lime wedges and salsa.

Complication is added if you have to make your own salsa or flour tortillas, which we do. But if you’re in a place where you can buy some prepared foods, this meal would whip up in just the right amount of time it takes to set the table, nuke some tortillas and slice a lime.

Please don’t skip the lime wedges… it takes this tasty burrito to a whole new level!

Tried and True Recipe: Crepes

Crepes for breakfast on Friday (the first weekend day in our region of the world) became a tradition a few years ago. It’s stuck and I’m so glad.

Today, the recipe! I used to use the recipe in Joy of Cooking, but then I discovered the recipe below from Gina’s Skinny Recipes. It’s much healthier. This one I’m gonna stick with. You should know that I normally double it and have a few left over for snacks later in the day. Although I wouldn't’ have any left over if I didn’t cut my son off at 4 or 5. He loves these things…

You’ll need:

1 cup flour (I do half wheat and half white)

1 1/2 cups 1% milk (I actually use whole cream milk cause that is what we have)

1/3 cup egg whites (or 2 large egg whites)

1 whole egg

1 tsp oil

Toss all the ingredients in your blender and whirl it around, (if you don’t have a blender, just whisk it till your arm gets tired) then put the lid on it and throw it in the fridge for the night. Or just use it right away if you failed to plan ahead. But they’ll turn out waaaay better if you whip it up the day before. Trust me on this one. There is some scientific explanation about the gluten in the flour changing and blah blah blah. Just trust me, okay?! Thanks. Also, it’s just a nice feeling to go to bed knowing that your special weekend breakfast is already half made!

In the morning, give it another whirl in the blender while you heat up your pan or two pans, if you’re an efficiency addict like me.

Then check out this post for my frying tips and our toppings of choice. Actually, you probably shouldn’t wait until that point in your cooking process to check out that post. Cause then you’re bound to have some smoking pans and a fire-alarm going off as you hunt down your laptop, boot it up, try to remember what it was you were going to look up, find the web-page and read the long wordy post about frying crepes.

Yeah, you should definitely read that ahead of time. K?

And don’t be discouraged if you first couple tries don’t seem quite right. It took me a long time to improve my technique and they still turn out different every time. Luckily, they don’t have to look good to taste good!

Tried and True Recipe: Sweet and Sour Sauce

This sauce can be served with rice and sauteed veggies or meatballs or chicken in any and all forms or even fish probably, if you're into that. Serve it with whatever you got a hankerin' to be sweet and sour. It’s simple, delicious, and (obviously) isn’t picky about what it’s served with.

Combine and cook for 3 mins in a big pot:

2 1/2 cups cubed and drained pineapple (I use canned), save the juice

2 T butter

Add:

1/3 c. pineapple juice

2 c. green peppers, chopped

1 onion, chopped

Add:

1-3 T soy sauce

2 T vinegar

1/3 c. sugar, white or brown

Mix separately and add:

2 T cornstarch

1/3 c. pineapple juice

Dissolve, add to cornstarch mixture and cook, stirring until thick:

1 bouillon cube

1 c. boiling water

Simmer one hour.

Optional: Add other veggies before simmering, such as julienned carrots, green beans, etc.

Glory to The Wycliffe International Cookbook for this one. These cookbooks must be rare now, selling for a hundred or more dollars?! Nuts! I don't understand it. Or maybe I do, cause I wouldn't want to sell mine for even that much... that is how much I love it! Good thing I bought mine on May 13, 2006 for only $16.74 (as Amazon so kindly informed me when I just did a search on it). Enjoy!

My Recipes, Tried and True

Five years ago I couldn't really cook. When we moved to Africa I was SO clueless. Sometimes I'd serve rice with fried onions (?!). Or I'd just serve popcorn. That's all. Learning to pop that in a pan with oil on the stove was enough of a challenge for me. And once I served Mike a whole boiled potato. That's it. He sat on the couch and ate it like it an apple. (Yeah, he loves to tell that story.) I really had no idea what to do with a big pile of fresh vegetables from the local market. I'd look at it and just wonder how in the world I was supposed to make dinner out of it all.

I have come a long way since then and I often get asked what I cook in Africa. The answer is I cook all kinds of stuff... local foods, American foods, international foods and all those foods mixed together. I am no professional chef by any means, but it's been a fun journey for me. By now I have a collection of recipes that are tried and true. You know, the ones that you eat again and again and again and again some more.

I plan to start posting them here and put a collection of the links to those recipe posts on a new tab.

My Recipes, Tried and True

I am hoping you might enjoy the eclectic collection as it grows and also I am hoping that this means I can stop carrying around odd bits of paper that I scribble the recipes out on before I leave my house in Africa to travel each year in case I have a hankering for our fav Czech crepes, lentil and rice burritos or wacky cake along the way. I can kiss my bits of paper goodbye and the recipes will all be on here for good.

My fav recipes are most often completely from scratch and they never require fancy ingredients, cause we just don't have even some basic ingredients readily available, let alone anything fancy. They're also almost always vegetarian, cause when we moved our budget was perty tight. We didn't want to pay for the 'nice' meat from the supermarket and we weren't big fans of the more affordable meat that had been hanging on a hook in the open market covered with flies all day. So we learned to eat beans and vegetables instead. And now we're just accustomed to it.

Tomorrow I'll post the first tried and true recipe! Although fun pics to go with will have to wait until we're home and settled again...