Sirje's Indian Food

For those interested in Indian dishes, check this out.

Classic Swiss Cheese Fondue

1/2 lb. grated imported Swiss cheese
(Jarlsberg is relatively cheap at Costco.)
1/2 lb. grated Gruyere cheese
(If you find this cheap, let me know!)
2 Tbsp cornstarch
2 cloves garlic (1 crushed, 1 minced)
1 C. dry white wine
1 Tbsp lemon juice
1 Tbsp kirsch (imported cherry brandy)
1/2 tsp dry mustard
nutmeg

In a small bowl, coat the cheeses with cornstarch and set aside.

Crush one clove of garlic and rub the inside of the fondue pot with it.

Over medium heat, add the wine and lemon juice to the fondue pot and bring to a gentle simmer. Add minced garlic. Gradually stir the cheese into the liquid. Once melted and smooth, stir in kirsch, mustard, and nutmeg.

Serve with chunks of crusty bread and Granny Smith apples. Fondue forks are a must.

Movie Night Macaroni & Cheese

This is the easiest homemade mac 'n cheese we make. It is fun for movie night, served in front of the screen in a bowl, topped with "hot dog octopuses." (See beneath.)

1 12-oz. box pasta (we usually use whole wheat shells)
1 1/2 C. whole milk
1 1/2 C. chicken stock
3 large eggs
3/4 tsp. onion powder
3/4 tsp. salt
1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
3 cups shredded cheese (sharp cheddar or combination)
homemade bread crumbs (opt.)
paprika (opt.)

Preheat oven to 375. Boil pasta in salted water as directed, cooking just till al dente. While pasta is cooking, whisk together next six ingredients. Pour milk mixture over cooked pasta in sprayed 9x13 pan. Blend in 2 C. (or tad more) cheese, then top with remaining reserved cheese. Sprinkle with bread crumbs and paprika.

Bake for 30-40 minutes, until top is lightly browned. Let rest 10 minutes before serving.

For fun, top with Hot Dog Octupuses:
Take a Hebrew National brand small-size hotdog. Leaving a 1-2 inch section at one end, carefully slice down the length of the rest of the hotdog. Divide it lengthwise into eight sections, carefully being sure that all the "legs" remain attached to the "head." Place the hotdog on a paper plate in the microwave for about 30 seconds or so, and watch as it "curls up" into an octopus shape.

Tracy's Sloppy Joes

This is the only Sloppy Joe recipe my family will let me make. Most others are "way too sweet," they say. The original recipe (see beneath) is compliments of Mike's mom.

Large Batch:
2-3 lb. ground beef (use 70% lean - drain off grease that cooks out)
1 large onion, chopped
16-24 oz. canned tomato sauce
3-4 Tbsp. yellow mustard
salt & pepper to taste

Brown onion in butter and remove to plate. Brown the ground beef and drain if needed. Mix in other ingredients and bring to a boil. (I tried not doing this, and just cooking the onion at the same time as the hamburger, but it isn't as good!)

Serve on hamburger buns or potato rolls.

Small Batch (Original Recipe):
1 lb. ground beef (use 70% lean then drain off the grease that cooks out)
1/2 small onion, chopped
1 8 oz. can tomato sauce
1 Tbsp. yellow mustard (make a little pinwheel instead of measuring)
salt & pepper to taste

Crunchy Salad

(really cheap... really yummy... a very great last-minute meal option...)

Large Recipe (serves six generously as a main dish)

2 heads Romaine lettuce, finely shredded
1 bag pre-shredded slaw mix (finely-shredded cabbages & carrots) - very cheap at BJ's
2 C. sunflower seeds (or you can used sliced almonds in a pinch) - very cheap at Dollar Tree
6 Tbsp. sesame seeds - cheap in bulk at Farm Fresh
3 pkgs. crushed Ramen noodles (discard powdered sauce packets) - cheap anywhere!
(OPT.) rotisserie chicken to serve on the side if it is a main dish - cheap at Costco and BJ's

Mix all above together. Top with a dressing of:
3/4 - 1 C. oil
4 Tbsp. sugar
1/2 + C. red wine vinegar - cheap at Ollie's
1 Tbsp. soy sauce

(The original recipe calls for you to also add one seasoning packet from the Ramen noodles to this dressing, but the MSG bothers one of my daughters so I skip it.)

Also, I often make this for the kids and me as a lunch-on-the-go by grabbing two pre-fab shredded slaw bags and skipping the Romaine. If I pre-make the dressing, I can grab it all as ingredients and put it together at lunch time in a jiffy.

It is tasty, but no longer "crunchy," as leftovers. The Ramen goes soft and mushy and seems more like soft noodles after a few hours of sitting.

Basic French Bread

My friend Elizabeth's recipe...

By whatever method you create your homemade dough (whether you use a Kitchen Aid, you throw it in a bread machine, or you're old school and insist on nothing but a large wooden bowl and your hands), make the following into a nice dough:

yeast (1 scant Tbsp.)
4 1/2 C. flour (may use any proportion of whole wheat)
1 1/2 C. warm water
1 Tbsp. sugar
1 Tbsp. salt
1 Tbsp. olive oil
1-2 Tbsp. gluten (only needed if using >50% whole wheat)


When dough has been double-risen and punched down, divide it in two and roll each out into a large rectangle. Then "roll up" the rectangle along the long edge, into a long tube-like shape. Pinch and seal the edges and bake in a French bread pan at 425 degrees until done. (Use your nose - maybe about 15 minutes.)

Pepperoni Bread / Rolls

People ask us to bring these to every event we attend where food is expected. Folks ask about the recipe all the time, but then decide it is "too much trouble" to make them for themselves and order them from us instead. (See the Little Biscuit Bakery website.)

For those of you who bake, this recipe is actually very easy. It is only "too much trouble" for those who are too busy for, or intimidated by, home baking.

Begin by making the recipe for Basic French Bread, but use garlic salt instead of plain salt and add grated Parmesan cheese and Italian seasoning to the dough, if desired.

When dough has been double-risen and punched down, divide in two and roll each out into a large rectangle. If desired, spread the dough with pesto or lightly-beaten egg, but it isn't necessary. Top with a layer of pepperoni slices (or salami, or sausage, or spinach, or some combination thereof) and a layer of cheese (mozzarella or monterey jack work best).

If making "Pepperoni Bread" (a bit like a large stromboli), fold the large rectangle into thirds and seal the edges. Cook on a large baking sheet at 400 or so until the top is golden brown and you smell the bread is done. (This will be around 25 minutes, maybe.)

If making "Pepperoni Rolls" (individual, like cinnamon rolls), roll the large rectangle into a tube-like shape. Slice into individual rolls (about 1/4" thick) and place flat side down on a baking sheet. Top with tiny bit more cheese and bake at 400 or so until bubbly and baked, about 10-15 minutes, maybe.

One-Step Bean Guacamole

This was originally our friend Ms. Christine's recipe, but since I make it all the time now, my family calls it "O's dip."
'ding 3

1 avocado
1(15-oz.) can kidney beans
1/2 c. red salsa
1 to 2 T. chopped cilantro (opt.)
Salt and pepper to taste

Coarsely mash together the avocado and beans. Stir in salsa. Season to taste.

Seven-Layer Cookie Bars

This was originally our friend Ms. Christine's recipe, but I have become famous for making it.
'ding 2 (Philip)

NOTE from Laurie: This is a quick and easy recipe when you need a sweet treat to share, but they are very sweet (what my family calls "sicky sweet"!) and I can't really eat them if they're made according to the recipe. When I make them, I cut the quantity of both types of chips by half.

1 stick butter
1 cup graham cracker crumbs
1 C.  bittersweet chocolate chips (Sicky sweet—use significantly less!)
1 C.  butterscotch chips (Sicky sweet—use significantly less!)
1 cup coconut
1 cup chopped pecans
1 can sweetened condensed milk

In square metal pan, melt butter. Stir in graham cracker crumbs. Sprinkle with layers of the following: chocolate chips, butterscotch chips, coconut, and pecans. Pour the milk over this. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 to 40 minutes. Cool and then cut into small squares. (They are very rich!)

Mom’s (Susanne's) Southwest Chicken and Broccoli

I got the basic part of this recipe from the Internet and can't remember where; however, I've altered and adapted it, so I'm now claiming it as my own.
:-)

Ingredients:
• 1 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts
• 1/4 C chopped onion
• 2 cloves minced garlic
• 1 tsp. ground cumin
• 6-8 oz canned chopped green chiles (depending on can size)
• Small amount of chicken stock or water and bouillon
• 1/3 C heavy cream
• 1/3 C shredded cheddar or jack cheese
• Olive oil
• Salt, pepper
• ½ to 1 whole package frozen broccoli florets (or use fresh broccoli)
• *Optional garnishes

Preparation:
1) Heat large skillet with oil.

2) Cut chicken into bite sized pieces and season with salt and pepper. Saute' till brown on both sides, adding onions and broccoli about half way through.

3) Add garlic and cook for another minute.

4) Deglaze the pan with the little water + boullion or chicken stock.

5) Add cumin, green chiles, and cream, and simmer until chicken is done and sauce is thickened.

6) Top with cheese, and serve when cheese melts. Suggestion: Serve over brown rice or whole wheat pasta.

*Optional garnishes: avocado slices; cilantro; green onions; chopped tomatoes; sour cream

Makes 3-4 servings

Mom's (Susanne's) Mexican Rice

To be served with Susanne's Chicken Enchiladas and Ranchero Sauce.

Main Ingredients:

1 cup long grain white rice (not short grain)
2 cups water
2 tbl. (or so) oil
½ tsp. salt
½ cube Knorr chicken bouillon
½ tiny can tomato sauce

*Optional:
½ chopped tomato
Mixed vegetables, a handful (or about 1/3 cup)
diced bell pepper
diced onion
browned hamburger (or any other meat)

1. Brown the rice in the oil over high heat. Don’t burn it. To keep it from burning, make sure you put in plenty of oil and stir CONSTANTLY, scraping around the bottom of the pan with each pass of the spoon. When it’s browned, remove the pan from the heat.

2. After it’s cooled a little, add the water. (If you prefer, omit the boullion cube and just use 2 cups of chicken broth.)

3. Add the rest of the ingredients, including optional ones, if any.

4. Put the heat on high again, and bring the water to a boil.

5. Turn the heat down LOW. When the water calms down a little, put a well-fitting lid on the pan.

6. Don’t stir the rice while it is cooking. Check it after 10 minutes or so just to make sure it isn’t dry or burning. (If it gets dry before the rice is tender, add a little water.)

7. It usually takes about 15-20 minutes to cook. If it’s a bit watery, but the rice is tender, put the lid back on, and turn the heat off. Let it stand for another 5-10 minutes or so; it will continue to absorb water for a while, even with the heat off.

*I’ve even added browned hamburger near the end and then topped this with grated cheese at the very last to make a main dish. You could also do it with chunks of chicken or any other bits of meat you like. If you add cheese, make sure you wait until the heat is off; then sprinkle the cheese on top, and put the lid on for a few minutes to allow the cheese to melt. Serve in a plate, as usual, or wrap it up in a flour tortilla. (If you wrap it in a tortilla, you can add lettuce, tomatoes, sour cream, and/or a mild salsa, even beans, and have a very hearty burrito.) Best cheese choices: Quesa Fresca (Mexican), Monterey Jack, Mozarella, Cheddar (not the best, but if you’re a cheddar lover, not bad), Provolone

Mom’s (Susanne's) Ranchera Sauce

Ingredients for the Slow Method (easy/quick method at the end)

Main Ingredients:
1 tbsp. margarine or butter
1 tbsp. flour
1 medium onion, thinly sliced
¼ cup chopped green chiles (*jalapeño)
2 cups chicken broth

Directions:
1. Combine margarine and flour in a medium-sized skillet and cook at medium heat just for a minute or so.
2. Add the onion, chiles, and tomatoes and cook until the onion is tender.
3. Stir in seasonings and the broth and simmer for 10 minutes at low heat. Set aside.

This sauce can be used over enchiladas or over eggs (for huevos rancheros) or any other way you can think of. Use your imagination!

*Varied amounts of jalapeño can be used, depending on how hot you like it. I use pickled jalapeño slices and only add one or two pieces, chopped, to the sauce. You can use a different type of chile if the jalapeños are too hot or if you don’t like their taste. Diced California green chiles (come in a can) would work as well, and they are milder.

Easy/Quick Version

Instead of doing all the cutting and chopping, use one can of Ro-Tel original (or mild) chiles and tomatoes. Place in the saucepan, with the flour and butter, stir in the broth, and then cook over medium, stirring constantly, until thickened. I find this to be virtually as good, but it takes a fraction of the prep time. You can still add onions and cilantro, if you wish. Just sauté the onion first, and add cumin to the mix before heating.

Mom’s (Susanne's) Chicken for Misc. Dishes

1 small package of boneless, skinless chicken breasts (or other boneless, skinless chicken, such as thighs fattier than the breasts, but many people prefer them)
Water to almost cover chicken
1 chopped tomato
Pinch of salt
1 tsp. ground cumin
1-2 TB olive oil

Begin heating oil in large, heavy skillet over medium heat. Add chicken, and wait until it begins to sizzle.
Add water to almost cover chicken.
Mix in tomato, salt, and ground cumin.
Cover, and turn heat to low. When ingredients are simmering, cover with a lid.
Allow to simmer slowly, covered, until chicken is falling apart. Check periodically to make sure it doesn’t become dry.
When chicken has reached the falling-apart stage, remove lid, raise heat to medium or medium-low, and allow juices/water to cook off.
This can be used in a number of Mexican recipes, some of which need just a little variation in the spices. Sometimes I add a slice of pickled jalapeno to give it more of a kick.

NOTES:
Also, I use a heavy skillet, but you could use a deep pot. You can also use whole chicken, and instead of putting it into the skillet first, put it into a pot of boiling water, cook it until it’s falling off the bone, then remove and allow to cool. Remove skin and bones, then cook in with the other ingredients (tomato, salt, cumin, olive oil, and just a bit of water). This takes longer and is messier, but it’s cheaper. You also end up with a good batch of chicken broth if you strain the liquids after you remove the cooked chicken.

Mom’s (Susanne's) Enchiladas Rancheras: Chicken

Disclaimer: I do a lot of cooking by the seat of my pants, so you may need to adjust amounts.
:-)

Main Ingredients:
2 dozen corn tortillas
1-1 ½ lb. shredded Monterey jack cheese
2-3 tsp red chili powder
½ sm. Can crushed tomatoes (or low salt tomato sauce)
Approx. 1 cup water
Salt
Prepared chicken pieces (see Mom’s Chicken for Misc. Dishes recipe)—Add about 1- 1 ½ tsp. of ground cumin and a bit of choped tomato to the chicken. You can also add a little salt, to taste, if you like.

Ranchera Sauce (see Ranchera Sauce recipe)

*Optional:
You can add to the chicken filling pretty much anything you want. The following suggestions are fairly safe.
Chopped onion, cooked or raw
Chopped tomato
Sliced black olives
Finely chopped bell pepper

Prepare Your Ingredients:
1. Heat corn tortillas until soft on a large, heavy skillet or heavy griddle. You can also heat them in the microwave. However you heat them, keep them warm as you go. You can do this by keeping them in a folded dish towel.
2. Mix together the crushed tomatoes (or tomato sauce), chili powder (chili puro), water and salt to taste. Set aside.
3. Grate cheese and set aside.
4. Put prepared chicken within reach.
5. Have ready an oiled 13X9-inch baking pan with aluminum foil to cover
To Assemble Enchiladas:
6. Dip warm corn tortilla in tomato mixture.
7. Lay tortilla in baking pan.
8. Down the middle of tortilla place approx. 1/3 cup chicken filling and about 1-2 tbl. grated cheese.
9. Fold the sides of the tortilla over (thirds) and then flip the enchilada over carefully so that the open side is down.
10. Repeat steps 6-9 until you’ve used all your ingredients.
11. This dish can be made ahead of time and stored in the refrigerator until you’re ready to use it.
12. When you’re ready to finish, cover baking dish with foil and place enchiladas in 375-degree oven.
13. Bake for 10-15 minutes (more if they’ve been refrigerated). Test periodically to see if cheese is melting. When it is melted, immediately remove enchiladas from oven. If you leave them in too long, the tortillas will become tough and chewy.
14. Heat ranchera sauce.
15. When the enchiladas are hot, serve on individual plates, covering them with hot ranchera sauce first. Sprinkle with cheese (and sliced black olives if you want).

Super Potato Salad

Super Potato Salad
(original recipe from epicurious.com but altered for my preferences)

3 1/2 lbs potatoes, cubed and boiled
4 green onions
1 cup (at least) bread and butter pickles
5 bacon slices, fried and crumbled
1/2 red bell pepper, diced

1/2 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 ounce envelope Ranch salad dressing mix
1/2 tsp dried dillweed
2 T Dijon mustard
Salt and Pepper

Mix top ingredients. Create "dressing" with remaining ingredients. Pour dressing over potato mixture and toss well. Season with salt and pepper.

Johanna's Homemade Pizza

We went to her house, and her homemade pizza was better than mine... Johanna's Easy Pizza Sauce and Homemade Pizza Dough...

Mexican Chicken Corn Chowder

If you're looking for a "real" recipe, this is from a friend of a friend... I ate this at her house... It was delicious... Mexican Chicken Corn Chowder

In the meantime, I will say that yesterday I made up a very yummy soup that was similar. I was shooting for Crock Pot burrito filling, but it was rather soupy when I finally got home, so I just added some stuff and made it into soup. It was delicious.

Here's what I did, basically, just so I can remember and "get it down" before I forget. If you're game for "winging it," too, then you might want to give it a whirl.

Place 10-20 boneless, skinless thighs (or breasts, or whatever chicken pieces you want) in the Crock Pot with a canned beans (I would have used two, and I would have used black beans, but I only had one and it was pintos, so that's what I did), a chopped onion, minced garlic, and a jar of green salsa.

I put the chicken in semi-frozen, and cooked it all day long on low. When I got home I shredded the meat with a fork and then added a large jar (probably 8 cups or so) of homemade chicken stock, a large can of petite diced tomatoes, a can of hot Rotel tomatoes, some vinegar from the jar of jalapenos, some frozen corn, about half a cup of heavy cream, and various seasonings including Costco's organic no-salt seasoning (a staple around here), a few shakes of Hidden Valley Ranch dressing mix, cumin, a good bit of Jane's Crazy Mixed-Up Salt (the secret - I've since discovered - to my mother's delicious homemade turkey soup, and a must-have for successful seasoning of most homemade soups, if you ask me), and SPG (a homemade blend of equal parts salt-pepper-garlic salt that we put on absolutely everything).

If I were making this again, with purpose and deliberateness, I would use black beans instead of pintos and canned hominy instead of the frozen corn, since my family prefers those. Chopped celery would also be good in it.

I served it with grated cheese, sour cream, and salsa as toppings; tortillas (we were originally going to have burritos, remember?!) and corn chips were on the side.

Cheri's Spicy Ginger Salad Dressing

This is yummy for that Oriental-style dressing that is always on the salad when you go to a Japanese hibachi restaurant. This is what I tend to serve as a side dish when our friends come over to eat my husband's sushi spread.

2 Tbsp. rice vinegar
2 Tbsp. olive oil
2 Tbsp. sesame oil
3 Tbsp. fresh-ground ginger
3 cloves fresh minced garlic
2 tsp. soy sauce
1 Tbsp. hot chili oil
pinch salt

Susanne's Pintos & Rice (VEGAN)

(a healthy, cheap meal... a weekly favorite for us... I usually double this recipe)

1 pound dried pinto or cranberry beans

1 large onion, diced

1 large bulb of garlic (10 or so whole, smashed cloves per pound of beans)

1 small fistful of sea salt

brown rice, cooked, for serving

cold veggie relish (diced crudités), for topping

pickled jalapeños, diced avocado, salsa (optional)

cheese and sour cream (omit for vegan!)

1) Soak 1 pound dried pinto beans overnight (at least) in water.  (NOTE: It is best if they just barely start to sprout, which they'll do after 12-18 hours of soaking. See below for cheater trick if you're short on time.)

 
2) After they've soaked, pour off soaking water, and bring beans to a boil in fresh water. Turn down and simmer until tender (a couple of hours) with the onion, garlic, and salt. (Conversely, you can cook these in a slower cooker on HIGH for 3 hours or so until tender, or throw them in your instant pot according to the recommended cooking time.)

3) Serve over whole grain rice (brown, brown basmati, or brown jasmine), topped with your choice of cold veggie relish (made of any combination of cucumbers, peppers, onions, celery, and tomatoes), salsa, jalapenos, diced avocado, chili vinegar. 

4) On the side we serve either Cheri's griddle cakes or tortilla chips.

For "homemade refried beans," coarsely smash the beans in a saucepan with some of the broth. Let 'em cook down and bubble a little, stirring often. Add Mexican seasonings to taste. We use these on tortillas as a common "everyday sort of lunch" instead of PB&J sandwiches. I just put this filling on a small fajita-size tortilla with some cheese (omit for vegan), roll it up, and line them up in my toaster oven to warm. Cold, washed romaine leaves on the side, and you're set.

*I may as well include the "cheater" method when you didn't soak them, overnight, because it works and I've used it in a pinch many times.  It is not near as healthy or easy on your digestive system, but you can take dry beans and bring them a boil, turn off the water, let them soak for an hour or two, then bring them to a boil again to cook.  It isn't best, but I do it when I have to!

Brandy's Velvety Pumpkin Bisque

(This is the most-requested recipe every year at our annual fall "soup and dip" gathering...)

4 Tbsp. butter
1 1/2 minced shallots
2 cans pumpkin
2 C. chicken broth
1/4 C. brown sugar
1 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. white pepper
1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg
4 C. Half & Half
chopped parsley for optional garnish

1) In a saucepan, over medium heat, melt butter and cook shallots until tender, stirring occasionally.

2) Stir in next 7 ingredients until blended and mixture begins to boil. Cook 5 minutes to blend flavors.

3) Add cream and heat through, stirring occasionally.

4) Taste it and add whatever you want, to taste.

5) Serve in bowls with garnish, if desired, or serve it in a hollowed-out pumpkin.