Autumn is knocking. What do you cook?

Spaghetti with Quarter-Pound Meatballs

A real eye-popper when you bring it to the table, shades of Buca di Beppo.

Combine the ingredients for your favorite marinara sauce in a slow cooker. Knead together 1 lb. of lean ground meat (turkey, chicken, lean beef or any combination), 1/2 cup seasoned breadcrumbs and 1 egg. Divide into 4 portions. Shape each portion into a slightly egg shaped ball and immerse in the sauce. Cover and cook 8 hours on Low or 4 hours on High. Serve with cooked pasta.

If you use regular ground beef and prefer a less greasy sauce, precook the meatballs for about 30 minutes in a 350 degree oven or toaster oven before adding them to the sauce.

Sweet Potato Pie!!! Make 2; one for dessert, one for breakfast.


(well, there's only 4 pieces in a pie, you know...)

Carole,

You just have to teach mom the basics of dieting. If you cut the pie in *little* pieces, you have to eat two (or more) slices instead of just one. That's how people get fat. Cut your pie into quarters - then you only have to eat one piece.

Arithmetic saves the day!

I make my jams, jellies and chutneys now. Below is the recipe for apple chutney. (or 'Nuclear Waste' as I usually label it.)

9 lbs cooking apples, cored, peeled then sliced into jelly pan.
4 lbs onions, ditto.
3/4 lb, brown sugar.
Couple of handfuls of sultanas.
Enough curry powder, paprika, pickling spice. turmeric to make your eyes water.
Cover two thirds with malt vinegar.
Boil into sludge.
Bottle.

Abuelita Loca
Mexican Hot Chocolate for Grown-Ups

Heat 2 cups milk in the microwave oven until steaming but not boiling. While the milk heats, break a whole Abuelita or Ibarra Mexican chocolate tablet along its score lines into a glass blender jar. Grind the chocolate to a powder, then add 2 ounces Kahlua or Kimura coffee liqueuer and the heated milk. Frappe for about a minute, then pour into tall heat-resistant mugs and top with real whipped cream (none of that Cool-Whip crap!).

Oh, and omit the Kahlua if you're making this for the kids.

Carole said:

Now WHERE am I gonna find Mexican chocolate tablets in Tennessee?? Phooey. I guess it might be ok with plain cocoa, but now I am going to feel sub-par

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Actually, our grocery store carries them in with the ethnic foods. They're on a shelf between the mole sauce and the refried frijoles.

Carole said:

Now WHERE am I gonna find Mexican chocolate tablets in Tennessee?? Phooey. I guess it might be ok with plain cocoa, but now I am going to feel sub-par

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PattiTheWicked said:

Actually, our grocery store carries them in with the ethnic foods. They're on a shelf between the mole sauce and the refried frijoles.

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If you can't get the Mexican chocolate this will work too. It's that extra bit of added sugar and cinnamon that makes it Mexican style. I like to add a little bitty dash of cayenne pepper too

I have another soup recipie that I've done in both the crock pot and on top of the stove. Stove method is quicker, but crock pot brings out the seasonings much better. Also, a word of warning - my salt amounts my be off by a lot. I very rarely salt my foods during cooking (high blood pressure) and let my family members salt them as they see fit. If the amounts I've given seem anemic, they probably are.

Chris' Dump Soup

1 can corned beef
1 BIG can Veg-All mixed vegetables (+ 1 canfull of water)
1 6oz can tomato paste
1 14.5 oz can tomato sauce
A LOT of pepper (never measured, can't tell you exactly)
1 TBSP following spices:
Paprika
Oregano
Basil
Thyme
Chili powder
Garlic powder (NOT garlic salt)
1 tsp salt
1 bay leaf

Place everything in a large pot on the stove. Break up the canned corned beef. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and allow to cook for 30 to 45 minutes. If using a crock pot, put it all in your crock pot and set on low for about four hours.

I'm sort of famous for this one, it's now a Christmas gift bag staple.

Deb's Zucchini Bread

3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
3 teaspoons ground cinnamon
3 eggs
1 cup vegetable oil
2 1/4 cups white sugar
3 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 cups grated zucchini
1 cup chopped walnuts



1 Grease and flour two 8 x 4 inch pans. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F
2 Sift flour, salt, baking powder, soda, and cinnamon together in a bowl.
3 Beat eggs, oil, vanilla, and sugar together in a large bowl. Add sifted ingredients to the creamed mixture, and beat well. Stir in zucchini and nuts until well combined. Pour batter into prepared pans.
4 Bake for 40 to 60 minutes, or until tester inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool in pan on rack for 20 minutes. Remove bread from pan, and completely cool.

Here's one more. This one goes great with the Thanksgiving turkey.


Deb's Root Veggie Casserole.


3 Cups Apple cider
1 cup semi-sweet white wine
3 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 1/4 pounds carrots
1 1/4 pound sweet potatoes or yams
1 1/4 pound parsnips
1 1/4 pound white turnips
1 1/4 pound yellow turnips
Salt & pepper

Boil cider and wine in a heavy saucepan until reduced. (about 30 minutes -- to 3/4 cup) whisk in butter.

Peel & cut veggies into 1/2 inche pieces. (I do a julienne.)

place veggies in baking pan (or two if need be) and drizzle with olive oil. Pour cider/wine mixture over veggies. Lightly salt & pepper - toss to coat.

Roast at 425 until veggies are golden and tender with crisp edges. Usually about 40 minutes.

Ol' Fashioned Brother's Lick Top

My brother made this for us all at a family dinner - it's been a favorite ever since. He got the recipe from his mother-in-law, Mary B. (Myslak) Eska. An excellent 'make ahead' meal that goes together quickly, cooks without much supervision, and fills hungry mouths... and don't ask me where that name came from!

1 Pound Ground Chuck (or, for less fat, ground round)
1 Large Onion, sliced about ¼" thick
1 Large Potato, unpeeled, sliced about ¼" thick
1 #303 Can of Dark Red Kidney Beans
1 Large Tomato, sliced about ¼" thick
Salt and Pepper to taste
Minced Garlic, dried
Chili Powder
3 Strips of thick-cut Smoked Bacon, cut into ½" pieces
1 16oz can of Mr. & Mrs. T's Bloody Mary Cocktail Mix or a can of
Snappy Tom Tomato Juice Cocktail

Using an oven-safe deep casserole dish, start with a layer of ground chuck - approximately half a pound. You'll be dividing your ingredients in half as you'll be making two layers. Layer on top of that, in order listed above: chuck, onion, potato, beans, tomato.

Before starting second layer, sprinkle on salt, pepper, minced garlic, and chili powder to taste - you'll season again after the next layer, so go easy. Add second layer in same order and season again. Evenly distribute the bacon pieces over the top. Add Bloody Mary Mix to just under the last layer of beans.

Bake, covered, at 325º for 1 hour and 15 minutes. Remove cover and turn up heat to 375º and cook off some of the liquid... about 30 minutes. Or, if you have shopping or a golf game planned, cook at 200º. It'll be ready when you return.

This will serve two hearty eaters with some leftovers for lunch the next day for one. Delicious served with garlic or Texas toast - and like so many of these dishes, tastes even better the next day. Freezes well, too!

Zombie cooking thread rises from the dead and ports itself to the cooking forum.

ooooooooooooooooh! Spooky!

Soccer Mom said:

Zombie cooking thread rises from the dead and ports itself to the cooking forum.

ooooooooooooooooh! Spooky!

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Silly, new Supermod. Now you know you should have ported this to the Horror forum.

Soccer Mom said:

Zombie cooking thread rises from the dead and ports itself to the cooking forum.

ooooooooooooooooh! Spooky!

Click to expand...

*runs from the shambling carrots and parsnips*

*stamps on the tomatoes that are rolling after me*

Hah!

What?
Oh, Autumnal recipes?

Eggy Veg

Fry off an onion and 2 peppers.
Add 2 cloves of garlic, a dash of paprika and a dozen slices of your favourite salami/chorizo-thingumy.
Fry some more (the onions and peppers should be soft, but not brown)
Add 2 tins of tomato, a pinch each of sugar, salt and pepper.
Turn down the heat and simmer for 10 minutes.
Add about 8oz of potatoes (chopped into little bits first, naturally), some beans and some peas.
Simmer for the time it take to smoke a cigarette (the potatoes should be warmed, the beans & peas should be cooked)
Dump the thing into sort-of-portion-sized casserole dishes.
Crack an egg or two onto each dish.
Stick it into 350F of oven until the eggs are cooked.

Tasygood