No-Splatter Burger Patties

This method is the cleanest way I've found to have plenty of burger patties on hand. They aren't as good as freshly grilled, but if you've got to just grab something nourishing, these will do the trick. You can take them on the plane as long as your bag isn't over 4 ounces. Cut them into "fries" for easy eating.

Preheat oven to 250 degrees.

Place frozen hamburger patties on a cookie sheet covered with heavy duty foil. Season generously with salt.

Cook for 20 minutes. Flip patties and season with salt again.

Cook for another 20 minutes. They are done at 165 degrees, but I usually stop at 155 degrees. 

Remove patties to a plate to cool, then refrigerate. 

This method will work for patties that are not frozen. You'll just need to shorten the cooking time.

Clean-up should just be to let the cookie sheet cool and then throw away the foil. If you want to make tallow, pour the grease into a jar while it is still hot.

Egg White Rolls

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Prepare 3 cookie sheets with parchment paper.

1 1/2 cups egg white powder (measured in a liquid measuring cup)

1 1/2 teaspoons cream of tartar

1/4 cup allulose

1/4 teaspoon salt

Put into a stand mixer with the whip attachment. Turn on low and pour in:

1 1/2 cup water

Turn mixer to high and whip on high until stiff peaks form.

Using a greased ice cream scoop*, dish out rolls onto prepared pans. Cook 15 minutes. Makes 30-40 rolls.  

*Works for awhile, then you have to help the mixture out with a spoon.

Modified Maria Emmerich recipe.

Beef Stew Slow Cooker Variations

 

• Beef Stew Ingredients (Martha Stewart style)
• Serves 6
• 3 pounds beef chuck, trimmed of visible fat and cut into 1 ½-inch cubes
  ⅓ cup tomato paste
  3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
  2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
  Coarse salt and ground pepper
  1 pound medium onions (about 2), diced
  1 potatoes, peeled, diced
  1 pound carrots, diced
  6 garlic cloves, smashed
  2 bay leaves
• Slow Cooker Instructions:

  1. 1. Place the beef in a 5-quart slow cooker.

  1. 2. Distribute tomato paste, vinegar, and flour over beef; season generously with salt and pepper. Add onions, potatoes, carrots, garlic, and bay leaves.

  1. 3. Cover slow cooker; cook on high until beef is fork-tender, about 5 hours (or cook on low heat 8 hours). Taste to see if it needs more salt before serving.
  2. Gourmandise Style: Replace potato with 4 cups diced butternut squash and replace the carrots with 1 cup diced prunes.
  3. 
     

Popovers (Individual Oven Pancake Style)

Put muffin tin in oven and preheat to 350 degrees F.

Bring eggs and milk to a warm room temp by putting eggs in very warm (tap) water for about 10 minutes and warming milk in microwave (only takes about 15 seconds).

In a blender cup (or blender if doing a large batch), blend eggs and milk. Add flour and salt. Blend again.*

When the oven has come to temp, carefully remove the muffin tin and add about 3/4 teaspoon butter in each muffin cup, making sure the sides are well buttered (a pastry brush works well). Quickly fill the cups half-full, then try to divide the rest of the batter equally.

Bake popovers until they are beautifully risen and browned, about 30-35 minutes. 

DO NOT OPEN THE OVEN DURING BAKING TIME.

*If you don't have a blender cup, you can use an electric mixer, or even whisk by hand. But you want it really frothy.

Zucchini Nut Loaf (Better Homes and Gardens)

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon baking powder

1 cup sugar (Mat only uses 1/2 cup)

1 cup finely shredded unpeeled zucchini

1 egg

1/4 cup cooking oil

1/4 teaspoon finely shredded lemon peel

1/2 cup chopped walnuts

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

In a mixing bowl stir together flour, cinnamon, baking soda, salt, nutmeg, and baking powder; set aside. 

In a mixing bowl beat together sugar, shredded zucchini, and egg. Add oil and lemon peel; mix well.  

Stir flour mixture into zucchini mixture.  Gently fold in chopped nuts.  

Turn batter into a greased 8x4x2-inch loaf pan.  

Bake in a 350 degree F oven for 55 to 60 minutes or till a wooden pick inserted near center comes out clean.  Cool in pan 10 minutes.  

Remove from pan; cool thoroughly on a rack.  

Wrap and store loaf overnight before slicing.  

Makes 1.

Chili Sauce

2 Tablespoons Avocado Oil

1/2 cup sweet onion, small dice

1 jalapeno, small dice

2 garlic cloves, minced 

1/2 teaspoon chili powder

1/8 teaspoon ground cloves

15 oz, organic tomato sauce

6 oz, tomato paste

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup seasoned rice vinegar

1/4 cup balsamic vinegar

In medium sauce pan, saute onion and jalapeno in oil on low heat until soft. Add garlic and cook for 30 seconds. Add chili powder and cloves and cook another 30 seconds. Add tomato sauce and paste, salt and vinegars. Simmer for 15 minutes. Blend if desired.

Another version (reduce sugar by half for salsa):

15 large tomatoes (try to figure out weight - and canned tomato equivalent)

3 large onions

1 large green pepper

2-3 jalapeno peppers

2 cloves garlic

1/2 cup vinegar

1/2 cup sugar

? Tablespoons salt

Cook and simmer 1 1/2 hours.

Bottle and process for 10 minutes.

Mediterranean Easter Dinner for 20 (2024)

Dinner for 20

Mediterranean Marinated Chicken 

Boneless Leg of Lamb, pre-seasoned and ready to cook, Costco, about 6 lbs

Greens (hardly need any)

Basmati rice (cooked according to package directions)

Roasted vegetables, double recipe (https://www.spoonfulofflavor.com/mediterranean-roasted-vegetables/)

Hummus (Costco)

Tzaziki, double recipe, used all of it (https://www.loveandlemons.com/tzatziki-sauce/)*

Feta (1-2 cups)

Kalamata olives, sliced (Costco bottle is way too much)

Big green olives (Costco - they were mixed with feta and other things, delicious)

English cucumber, diced (1 is enough--but maybe just slice it to dip in the hummus)

Pickled red onion (Anne likes some from Smith's)

Naan or pita** (used a package of 6, quartered - ran out)

Walnuts (1 cup would be plenty)

Figs; pitted dates, apricots (bought 3 8oz bags, more than enough)

Baklava (Beirut café near Fashion Place Mall)

*Tzatziki

1/2 cup finely grated cucumber, drained by squeezing with a kitchen towel

1 cup whole milk Greek yogurt

1 Tablespoon lemon juice

1/2 Tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

1 garlic clove, grated

1/4 teaspoon sea salt

1 Tablespoon chopped dill

1 tablespoon chopped mint, optional

**Jerusalem Bakery in Georgia has the best--you don't want to eat it like bread, it's super thin and chewy, but it is great to stuff as a sandwich.