Category: Recipes

Sometimes I cook. More often my wife does. When we find something especially yummy; here it goes.

This recipe is from my Better Homes and Gardens New Cook Book, (page 248).

Hamburger Pie (a.k.a Shepherd’s Pie)

    Ingredients (Serves 4)

  • 1 10oz. bag of mixed vegetables
  • 1 pound of ground beef
  • 1/2 cup chopped onion
  • 1 can of tomato or cheese soup (10.5oz – 11oz). I highly recommend using a cheese soup!
  • 1 teaspoon of Worcestershire sauce
  • 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme, crushed
  • 1 package of instant mashed potatoes (enough for four servings)
    Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees
  2. Run cold water over vegetables to separate.
  3. In a large skillet, cook meat and onion till meat is brown. Drain.
  4. Stir vegetables and 1/4 cup water into skillet.
  5. Cook, covered , 5 to 10 minutes or till tender.
  6. Stir in soup, Worcestershire sauce, thyme and 1/4 teaspoon of pepper. Transfer to a 1 1/2 quart casserole dish.
  7. Prepare potatoes according to package directions. Drop in mounds (potatoes) atop the hot mixture. Bake in an oven for 25 to 30 minutes or till hot.

These cookies were great. Made them for a friend who can’t have regular chocolate chip cookies.

White Chocolate Orange Cookies

    Ingredients (makes 2 to 3 dozen)

  • 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
  • 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup butter, softened
  • 1/2 cup granulated sugar
  • 1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
  • 1 large egg
  • 2 to 3 teaspoons grated orange peel
  • 1 (12-ounce) package white chocolate chips
  • 1 cup chopped walnuts
    Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 350*F (175*C).
  2. In medium bowl, combine flour, baking soda and salt together. Set aside.
  3. In large bowl, cream butter and sugars together with an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Beat in egg and grated orange peel. Add the flour mixture to butter mixture and stir to just combine. Stir in white chocolate chips and chopped walnuts.
  4. Drop by tablespoonful onto an ungreased baking sheet.
  5. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, turning baking sheet around at the halfway point to ensure even browning. Let stand for 2 minutes than remove to racks to finish cooling.

Miso Soup is one of Mark’s favorite’s! It was extremely tastey.

Miso Soup

    Ingredients (serves 4)

  • 3 cups water
  • 2 T miso
  • 2 green onions, finely minced (optional)
  • 1/2 cake tofu, cut into 1/2 inch cubes (optional)
  • 2-3 fresh mushrooms, thinly sliced (optional)
  • 1/2 tsp. sesame oil
    Directions

  1. Heat oil in bottom of small pot, add green onion (if using) and cook for about 5 minutes stirring frequently.
  2. Add 2 1/2 cups water.
  3. Dissolve miso in 1/2 cup water and add to pot.
  4. Bring to a boil. Lower heat, add mushrooms and tofu if desired.
  5. Serve.

I found this tasty recipe in a comment over at The Amateur Gourmet.

Vanilla Monkfish

    Ingredients (Serves 2)

  • 1 monkfish tail (you can do it with filets of any plain cheaper fish too, but monkfish is much better, and if you can afford vanilla, you might as well go for the expensive fish too)
  • 1 lime (clean it well to rub all the chemicals away as we want to use the zest)
  • cr�me fraiche
  • aluminum foil
  • half a vanilla bean
    Directions

  1. Heat your oven to about 180C (about 350-360 degrees F).
  2. Cut the aluminum foil into 2 big squares.
  3. Cut the monkfish into 2 pieces and put one on each sheet.
  4. Open the half vanilla bean and scrape the seeds onto the fish.
  5. Then grate the zest of the lime onto the fish (doesn’t it smell nice?).
  6. Sprinkle with a bit of salt.
  7. Then pour a big spoon of cream on each portion of fish.
  8. Fold the aluminum around the fish until you get 2 airtight bundles (what’s the English for Papillotte?).
  9. Put them into the oven and bake for probably about 10 minutes (I’m being totally random there, but it should be all right).
  10. Serve with white rice, and maybe a couple of slices of mango