A Distinctly Different Homestead

Salmon Patties

{ 05:40, Wednesday, September 3, 2008 } { Posted in Main Dish } { 4 comments } { Link }

I tried this recipe tonight and am so pleased with it! All of the children agreed, this must stay on The List! I found the recipe here and this is how I adapted it:

Salmon Patties
3 cans salmon
3 slices wheat bread, crumbled tiny
1/2 Tbsp onion powder
1/2 cup mayo
6 eggs
1 Tbsp softened butter
3/4 tsp ground pepper

Preheat oven to 350. Mix all ingredients together and form into 15 patties.
Place the very sticky patties on greased cookie sheets. Bake 45 minutes.

I served them on homemade buns with homemade tarter sauce and shredded lettuce. The side dish was carrot sticks. The sandwich truly tasted like a restaurant fish sandwich. I will be serving this often!

Mexican Hamburger Rice Bake

{ 06:20, Monday, August 11, 2008 } { Posted in Main Dish } { 5 comments } { Link }

If you are used to white rice, brown can be difficult to incorporate into your diet at first. This is an outstanding dish to use, since it is so tasty and easy to prepare. Pop over to Overwhelmed With Joy for more wonderful recipes!

Mexican Hamburger Rice Bake
6 cups cooked brown rice (cook three cups dry rice with 6 cups water or broth for 55-60 minutes)
1 1/2 pounds hamburger
1/2 small onion, chopped
1 10 oz can Ro-Tel tomatoes and peppers
1 8 oz can tomato sauce (I used Yellow El-Pato)
1/2 cup water
salt and pepper to taste
1 cup (or more) shredded cheese

Cook the hamburger and onion together till the burger is brown. Drain if needed. Add cooked rice, and all other ingredients and mix well. Spread into a buttered 11x15 pan and top with a little more cheese, if desired. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes to heat through and melt cheese.

BTW, if you use regular tomato sauce instead of Yellow El Pato, it will be a milder dish. We like things a bit more spicy!

BLT Pasta

{ 12:22, Thursday, July 17, 2008 } { Posted in Main Dish } { 1 comments } { Link }

This is a new recipe I haven't tried yet, but plan on having it later this week.

BLT Pasta
1 pound shaped pasta, cooked and drained
8 slices bacon, cooked, drained, crumbled
1 cup mayo
1/4 cup lemon juice
2 tsp sugar
1 large tomato, seeded, chopped
1/4 cup green onion, sliced
2-3 tsp chicken bouillon powder
4 cups lettuce, thinly shredded

Combine the mayo, lemon juice, sugar and bouillon powder for the dressing.

Combine all remaining ingredients, except the lettuce.

Just before serving, combine all the ingredients including the lettuce.

Simple Beef and Rice Dinner

{ 04:24, Friday, July 4, 2008 } { Posted in Main Dish } { 3 comments } { Link }

This simple recipe got five stars from all my children! Yeah, a new popular (cheap, too!) dinner! I have this posted at The Grocery Cart Challenge's Recipe Swap.

Simple Beef and Rice Dinner
1 1/2 pound ground beef
1 medium onion, chopped (I used 1 Tbsp. dried, minced onions)
1 medium bell pepper, chopped (I used about 1/2 cup, minced)
2 cups white rice
2 (16 oz) cans diced tomatoes (I used quartered home-grown cherry tomatoes and 1 (7 3/4 0z.) can of El Pato jalapeno tomato sauce)
2 (8 oz) cans tomato sauce
2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp dried basil
3 cups water
2 tsp salt
1 cup grated sharp cheese

Brown the meat with the onions and bell peppers. Drain, if needed. Add the rice and cook two minutes. Add remaining ingredients (except cheese). Bring to a boil. reduce heat, cover and simmer 20-25 minutes, until rice is done. Stir, then serve, sprinkled with cheese.

That's it. Simple, tasty, and cheap. Just my kind of supper.

Pizza Meatloaf

{ 03:40, Thursday, June 26, 2008 } { Posted in Main Dish } { 0 comments } { Link }

This is very kid-friendly meatloaf. After making it the first time, my children insisted I prepare it every day for a week! I did not, of course, and they are very happy when it appears on the menu.

Pizza Meatloaf
4 pounds ground beef
4 eggs
2 cups oatmeal
16 oz. pizza sauce, divided
1 cup EACH Parmesan and Mozzarella cheese, divided
1/4 cup EACH green pepper and onion, chopped
1 tsp. EACH seasoned salt, oregano
1/4 tsp pepper

Mix 1 1/4 cup pizza sauce with half the mozzarella cheese and all the other ingredients till well-combined. Pat into a greased 9 X 13 pan. Bake at 350 for 50 to 60 minutes till done. Drain if needed. Top with remaining sauce and cheese, return to oven 5-10 minutes or until heated through.

Pinto Bean Casserole

{ 04:23, Thursday, June 5, 2008 } { Posted in Main Dish } { 3 comments } { Link }

Here's one of my oldies, but goodies. I used to make this fairly often, but then the recipe went away....I found it last week and made it yesterday. All the children liked it, even the picky one! This was my choice for "Say No To Kraft" at Keeper of the Home's blog.

Pinto Bean Casserole
1 1/2 pounds ground beef
tortilla chips
2 (15 oz) cans diced tomatoes, drained
4 (15 oz) cans pinto beans drained and rinsed OR soak 2 cups dried pintos overnight, then cook until soft
2 cans tomato sauce
1 pound frozen corn
1/2 cup taco seasoning
shredded cheese

Brown the ground beef, then add the taco seasoning and 3/4 cups of water. Cook until most of the water is evaporated.

Combine seasoned ground beef, beans, tomatoes, corn and tomato sauce in a very large bowl.

Grease a 9x13 lightly with butter. Lay down a layer of crushed tortilla chips. Cover with the mixture from the large bowl. Top with shredded cheese. Repeat layers once.

Bake in a 350 oven for 15-20 minutes to warm everything and melt the cheese.

Yummy, nourishing and simple! Just my kind of meal. I like it topped with shredded lettuce, too. You could also add olives, sour cream and/or hot sauce! The picky one liked it with about a gallon of hot sauce.

Blackeyed Peas in Tomato Sauce

{ 04:45, Wednesday, May 14, 2008 } { Posted in Main Dish } { 0 comments } { Link }

I saw this today at Food is Love.

I haven't yet tried it, but want to save it here for future reference. I think I'll double it, at least!

Black eyed peas in Tomato Sauce

-6 cloves garlic

-1 yellow onion

-pinch saffron

-olive oil

-butter

-salt

-dash of red wine

-1/4 cup cream

-1 cup black eyed peas, soaked overnight and rinsed

-1 1/2 cups tomato sauce

-1/2 bunch kale

-parmesan cheese to taste

black pepper to taste

Soak the peas overnight and rinse. Boil in a pot of water with a piece of kombu (to make them less gas-inducing) until they’re soft with just a bit of bite to the texture. Remove from heat and water.

Chop the onions and garlic. In a large, heavy pan, sauté onions in butter and olive oil until they’re clear and a little browned. Halfway through cooking, add a pinch of saffron, and a generous pinch of salt, and stir. The onions are properly salted when you can smell them cooking more intensely than you could without salt. Add the garlic and stir more. Add half the cream and let the onions absorb it, stirring as needed.

Pour in the drained black eyed peas and a dollop of red wine. Stir to coat the peas. Let it cook about two minutes. Add the tomato sauce and stir again, then cook covered for ten minutes.

Remove cover and add leaves of kale, chopped into large pieces. Turn heat to low. Add the rest of the cream, salt to taste, and serve with pepper and parmesan when it tastes just right to you.

Homemade Hamburger Helper

{ 02:17, Tuesday, May 13, 2008 } { Posted in Main Dish } { 0 comments } { Link }

This is last night's meal. Everyone liked it and there were only a little bit of leftovers. It makes a great quick meal!

Homemade Hamburger Helper

Boil 1 1/2 pounds of pasta (I used elbows) and:

Brown:
1 pound of ground beef
2 stalks celery, chopped
1 small onion (or 2 tsp. onion powder)
salt and pepper to taste

Stir in:
1 (15 oz) can of tomato sauce
1 (28 oz) can of diced tomatoes, undrained
1/2 pound of frozen veggie of your choice (I used corn)
the cooked pasta

Simmer a few minutes, then stir in 4 oz of cream cheese.

When the cream cheese is melted, serve and top with shredded Monterey Jack cheese.

I served this with a green smoothie for our veggie servings. Enjoy!

Speedy Spaghetti

{ 06:50, Friday, April 11, 2008 } { Posted in Main Dish } { 0 comments } { Link }

Here's another version of spaghetti that I use. I double everything but the meats and it makes enough for dinner for our family. My most used spaghetti recipe is a family secret from my dear mother-in-law's father. This one is good, but no match to Grandpa John's recipe. I will not be posting that one. Sorry!

Speedy Skillet Spaghetti
1 pound Italian sausage
1 pound ground beef
2 cups water
2 cans (15 oz.) diced tomatoes
2 cans (15 oz.) tomato sauce
1 tsp Italian allspice
1/2 tsp EACH oregano, basil, parsley
1/4 tsp thyme
sprinkle of onion and garlic powders
8 oz. pasta, broken into pieces

Brown meats, drain if needed. Add all other ingredients and bring to a boil, stirring. Cover and reduce heat to simmer. Simmer, stirring occasionally, 16-18 minutes, until pasta is done.

Quick Spaghetti For A Bunch!

{ 06:18, Wednesday, April 9, 2008 } { Posted in Main Dish } { 0 comments } { Link }

I made this one up by combining a few different recipes. It's good with garlic bread!

Quick Spaghetti For A Bunch
1.5 to 2 pounds of ground beef
1 pound of Italian sausage
2-3 large cloves garlic, minced
1 1/2 Tbsp, Italian seasoning
2 tsp EACH basil, chives
1 tsp EACH sage, oregano, thyme, rosemary
5 cups water
1 #10 can of tomato sauce
2 pounds (7 cups) salad macaroni

Cover the bottom of a large pan with olive oil. Add garlic and sautè lightly. Brown the meats with the garlic. When meat is done, add the remaining ingredients. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer. Cover and simmer, stirring often, for 20-25 minutes, until pasta is done. Serve with green salad and garlic bread.

This makes enough for dinner and lunch the next day for our big family! It works just as well if you leave out the meat.

A Cheap Dinner

{ 11:38, Thursday, April 3, 2008 } { Posted in Main Dish } { 2 comments } { Link }

I was blog-hopping this afternoon and found this recipe. It had no title, so I'm calling it "A Cheap Dinner". We had it and all but one liked it, despite being such a cheap dinner. I wish I could remember what blog it was on to give credit, but, alas, my mind, it fails me...

A Cheap Dinner
Soak 1 pound of lentils (and a handful or two of barley if you want) in water for a few hours.
Drain and put in a large pot with:
1 bay leaf
6 cups water or broth (I used homemade chicken broth)
2 tsp salt
Bring near a boil and then simmer for 30 minutes, stirring a few times.
Meanwhile, brown 1 or 1/2 pounds ground beef (or chicken, I guess)
Add to the simmering lentils along with:
2 cans of tomato sauce (I used diced tomatoes with the liquid and liked it)
4 stalks of celery, with leaves, chopped
2 carrots, chopped
1 onion, chopped (I used only about 1/4 of an onion)
2 cloves garlic, minced (I thought 3 would have been better)
1 Tbsp salt (yes, more, it won't kill you!)
1 tsp dried oregano

Bring back almost to a boil, then cover and simmer for one to one and a half hours, stirring more frequently than I did, for I had a scorched pan to deglaze and clean. But I'm painting my bedroom and was trying to do too many things at once and have an excuse! You certainly will not scorch your children's dinner...I know you better than that!

Let me know what you think!

Beans~N~Bacon

{ 10:59, Tuesday, February 12, 2008 } { Posted in Main Dish } { 4 comments } { Link }

We had this last night for dinner. It makes a lot, so we will enjoy it again for lunch. A neighbor told me that it made the whole neighborhood smell good!

Beans~N~Bacon
Soak 2 pounds white beans overnight. Then drain, rinse, and cover again with 16 cups water. Begin bringing to a boil.

Cut one pound of bacon into chunks. Fry in a medium saucepan until done.

To the pot of beans, add:
the fried bacon
2 Tbsp chicken broth powder
1 large onion, finely minced
10 cloves of garlic, finely minced
8 stalks of celery with leaves
1/2 cup fresh parsley, chopped
1 tsp dried rosemary, minced
1 tsp salt
3/4 tsp pepper

Bring to a boil, then simmer for 2-3 hours, until beans are soft. Adjust the seasonings to your taste. I served it with cornbread and raw milk. Enjoy!

Son of a Gun Stew

{ 07:34, Wednesday, February 6, 2008 } { Posted in Main Dish } { 0 comments } { Link }

This is a well spiced stew that makes alot! Everyone likes it here. I usually serve it with fresh rolls and raw milk.

Son of a Gun Stew
2 lbs beef stew meat
6 chopped potatoes
1 (15 oz) can diced or stewed tomatoes
1 chopped onion
2 cloves garlic, chopped
2 cups carrots, chopped
1 cup EACH celery, corn, peas
1/4 cup broccoli
3 qts. water
1/2 cup hulled barley (not pearled, please, see note below)
3 tsp salt
2 tsp pepper
3 bay leaves
4 tsp fresh parsley, minced
1/4 tsp EACH dried basil and oregano
cornstarch or arrowroot powder to thicken

In a large dutch oven or pot, heat a small amount of olive oil. Add garlic and chopped meat and sear meat on all sides. Add onions, tomatoes, potatoes, barley, seasonings and water. Cook for 2 hours. Add remaining vegetables and cook 1 more hour, adding water if needed while cooking. Thicken with cornstarch.

To tell you the truth, I seared the meat, then threw everything in at once except the cornstarch and cooked it for a couple of hours, and it was done. This could easily be done in the crockpot, as well.

I was out of hulled barley, so I used brown rice instead. Pearl barley is to hulled barley as white flour is to wheat flour and iceburg lettuce is to romaine lettuce. Don't bother.

Bruchetta Chicken

{ 04:25, Tuesday, January 1, 2008 } { Posted in Main Dish } { 3 comments } { Link }

Bruchetta Chicken
1 cup flour
4 eggs, lightly beaten
8 chicken breasts
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup bread crumbs
2 Tbsp melted butter
4 tomatoes. seeded and chopped
4 Tbsp dried basil
1 clove garlic, minced
2 Tbsp olive oil
1.2 tsp EACH salt and pepper

Dredge chicken in flour, then eggs. Place in a greased 9x13. Combine Parmesan cheese, bread crumbs and butter. Sprinkle over the chicken. Cover loosely with foil. Bake at 350 for 20 minutes. Uncover and bake 5-10 minutes longer. Meanwhile, combine remaining ingredients. Spoon over chicken after the 5-10 minutes additional cooking. Return to the oven for 3-5 minutes to warm tomatoes.

Momma

Chili

{ 01:29, Thursday, November 29, 2007 } { Posted in Main Dish } { 3 comments } { Link }

Here's my simple, but oh so good chili recipe. I am including two variations. Both may be prepared without meat, if desired. Find more great, easy meals at Overwhelmed.

Chili 1
Sort, rinse and soak in lots of water six cups of beans overnight. I use pinto, kidney, pink and navy. Then rinse, add new water and about 1 Tbsp. salt and bring to a boil and softly boil, covered, until tender.

If you forget to soak them, you can sort and rinse, then cover with a lot of water and bring to a boil for three or four hours, till they are tender.

Cook 1 1/2 lb hamburger seasoned with pepper, 4 Tbsp. chili powder,
2 cloves minced garlic and about 1/4 cup chopped onion. Drain only if REALLY greasy.

When beans are ready, drain and return to pot. Add the seasoned meat and 4 18 oz. cans of tomato sauce. You can add a can of diced tomatoes and a can of Mexican stewed tomatoes if you wish. My family doesn't like the chunks of tomato, so if I add these, I puree them in the Vitamix. Bring back to a boil and then cover, and lower heat to simmer. Simmer, stirring occasionally, for about 1 hour, while you are making cornbread. Serve topped with shredded cheese.

If you are short on time:

Chili 2
Cook 1 1/2 lbs hamburger with 4 Tbsp chili powder and, if you wish, garlic, onion, salt, pepper.

When cooked, drain and rinse well, then add:

2 cans pinto beans
2 cans kidney beans
2 can white or pink beans
and
4 (15 oz) cans of tomato sauce
1 can diced tomatoes (optional)
1 can Mexican stewed tomatoes (optional)

Bring to a boil, then cover and simmer, stirring occasionally, for one hour. Serve with shredded cheese.

Hope you enjoy it!

Momma

Tender Steak Marinade

{ 02:46, Thursday, November 15, 2007 } { Posted in Main Dish } { 0 comments } { Link }

Here's a marinade that I use with flank steak...it's very tasty!

Tender Steak Marinade
1/4 cup soy sauce (I use half soy sauce, half Bragg's Liquid Aminos)
2 Tbsp water
2 cloves garlic, sliced thin
1 Tbsp brown sugar
1 Tbsp vegetable oil (I'll use red palm next time I use this marinade..bet you guessed that!)
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/2 freshly ground pepper

1 pound steak

Combine marinade ingredients well. Add steak and flip to coat entirely with marinade. I use a zippy bag. Let steak marinate overnight. Cook and prepare steak as desired.

We usually double or triple this for our family. Before adding the steak to the marinade, you can reserve some for basting during cooking, or for thickening for a dipping sauce.

Momma

Beef Noodle Casserole

{ 12:07, Monday, October 22, 2007 } { Posted in Main Dish } { 1 comments } { Link }

We have this meal about every other week. It's a favorite with the Lambies! You can substitute tuna or chicken for the beef without changing anything else!
Beef Noodle Casserole

1 1/2 pounds hamburger, cooked, seasoned with pepper
1 1/2 pounds of egg noodles, or other shaped noodles, cooked and drained
a quadruple serving of Cream of... (made with red palm oil, if you can)
1 16 oz bag of frozen corn
8 oz (or more) shredded cheddar cheese (Tillamook brand, if possible!)

Mix the noodles, hamburger, Cream of, and corn well. Put into an ungreased 11 X 15 or 2 9 X 13's. Top generously with cheese. Bake at 350 for 10-20 minutes, until cheese is melted and as crisp as you like.

Momma

Mashed Potato Pie

{ 03:16, Wednesday, September 12, 2007 } { Posted in Main Dish } { 4 comments } { Link }

Mashed Potato Pie for Many

A boatload of homemade mashed potatoes (extra makes potato pancakes in the morning!)

2 pounds hamburger, cooked and drained

1 1/2 lb. frozen corn

lots of shredded cheddar cheese (Tillamook is the best!)

Gravy (see recipe following)

Assemble like this: In two 9X13's layer mashed potatoes, meat, corn, gravy then cheese two times. Bake at 350 about 25 minutes or until cheese is melted and everything's hot!

Mashed Potato Pie Gravy

This recipe yields about the same as 2 cans cream of chicken soup whisked with one can of milk which is what I used BEFORE finding this great recipe! I usually triple this for this recipe. We like it swimming in gravy!

2 Tbsp melted butter

3 Tbsp. freshly ground whole wheat pastry flour

1/2 cup chicken broth (I use 1/2 cup water and 2 tsp. Frontier Naturals chicken-flavored broth powder)

1/2 cup milk

1/4 tsp. salt

Whisk flour into melted butter slowly until smooth. Remove from heat and gradually add liquids, stirring with whisk until smooth. Return to medium heat. Add salt, cook and stir till smooth and thick (about 10 minutes).

Easy and NO chemical additives, preservatives, etc! This is a multi-purpose gravy that substitutes for all the "Cream of" soups:

For celery, omit chicken broth, use one cup milk and add 1 cup sauteed celery.

For beef dishes, use beef broth powder instead.

We don't eat mushroom, but you could experiment and figure out how many mushrooms are right!

Serve with homemade whole wheat rolls and a salad and you've got dinner.

Blessings,

Momma

Chicken Chimichangas

{ 03:11, Wednesday, September 12, 2007 } { Posted in Main Dish } { 0 comments } { Link }

Chicken Chimichangas

1 pound pinto beans, cooked with salt, soaked overnight,and prepared earlier

Cooked chicken (enough to feed your family; I used two family packages of marked down "sell by today" chicken legs, boiled with some salt and pepper and a bay leaf or two for a couple of hours, then picked off the bone)

Chopped onion or green onions to taste (we used 1/2 an onion)

2-3 cloves garlic, crushed, to taste (we used 2 cloves)

Saute the above in oil until veges are limp.

Add:

1 small jar of Salsa

1-2 tsp. oregano

1/4 -1/2 tsp. cumin

You could add olives, too, if you wish.

Grease a 9X13 (I used a 9X13 and a 10X15). Put a scoopful of the above mix into a flour tortilla, add a scoop of the beans, and a sprinkle of cheese. Wrap up, and place seam side down in the greased pan. Brush with melted butter and bake at 375 for 15 minutes. Then broil for a few seconds to brown them up. Wonderful!

Chicken Parmigiana and Italian Cheese Bread

{ 02:41, Wednesday, September 12, 2007 } { Posted in Main Dish } { 0 comments } { Link }

Chicken Parmigiana

4 chicken breasts, butterflied into 8 pieces
1 can tomato paste
1 1/8 cup water
2 (or more) cloves garlic
1 1/2 Tbsp parsley
1 1/2 tsp EACH salt and Pepper
3/4 tsp EACH Italian seasoning and oregano
1/8 tsp red pepper flakes
8 oz. shredded mozzarella cheese
1/4 cup shredded Parmesan cheese

Lightly grease a 9X13 baking dish. Add chicken. In a saucepan, combine the tomato paste, water, garlic, and spices. Bring to a boil and cook 1 minute. Pour over chicken. Bake, uncovered, at 400 degrees for 15-20 minutes. Sprinkle with cheeses and bake 10 minutes longer.

Makes 6-8 servings

Here's a favorite compaion for the above recipe:

Italian Cheese Bread

2 1/2 cup all purpose flour
1 tsp. EACH salt and pepper
1 Tbsp quick rising yeast (regular works, too)
1 cup warm water
1 Tbsp. olive oil
1/4-1/3 cup prepared Italian salad dressing
1/4 tsp. EACH salt, garlic powder, thyme, oregano
a dash of pepper
1 Tbsp Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella

In a bowl, combine the first four ingredients. Combine water and oil and add to flour mixture. Add additional flour if needed, to form a soft dough. Turn out onto floured surface and knead 1-2 minutes, until smooth and elastic. Place in greased bowl and allow to rise 20 minutes.

Punch down. Place on greased pizza pan and push down to fill pan. Brush with salad dressing. Combine seasonings and sprinkle over dough. Bake at 450 for 13 minutes. Sprinkle with cheeses. Bake another 2-3 minutes till cheese is melted. Serve warm.