Zucchini Muffins

We finally have zucchini from the garden. Our garden didn't do as well as we hoped this year, probably due to rabbits (our area has lots of wild bunnies and they are horrible pests) eating the poor veggie's leaves before they have time to grow. The carrots never stood a chance. But we do have some zucchini so I get to start making some yummy zucchini treats, starting with muffins. I love these muffins. They are moist and tender and my kids love them too. I got the recipe at the Eat Cake For Dinner blog.

Zucchini Muffins
-makes about 18 normal sized muffins

3 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1 1/3 cups sugar
2 eggs
2/3 cup butter, melted (plus more for buttering pan)
2 teaspoons vanilla
3 cups grated zucchini

Preheat oven to 350 and brush muffin tins with melted butter (I used 2 muffin tins, but only buttered 6 muffin cups in the 2nd tin).

In a bowl mix together: flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Set aside.

 In the bowl of a mixer beat sugar and eggs until creamy. Add 2/3 cup melted butter and vanilla and beat to mix well. Add zucchini and beat until combined. Add flour mixture and beat until just blended. Batter will be thick. Distribute batter evenly into muffin tins (I used a large cookie scoop to help make them uniform in size). Bake for 20-23 minutes or until muffins are browned and toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Remove muffins to a wire rack to cool.

Easy Parmesan Knots

This quick roll recipe is from The Real Mom Kitchen Cookbook. I love that so many of my favorite food bloggers have come out with cookbooks. This is an easy roll recipe and a fun one to get kids involved, they can roll the biscuits into long snakes for you to tie in knots. I think I'm going to change this recipe a little the next time I make it. I want to brush the knotted rolls with melted butter and then sprinkle with the parmesan and spice mixture about halfway through the baking time. I was a little weirded out eating rolls brushed with a canola oil mixture after they come out of the oven (something about eating raw canola oil was the weird part). But they did taste good as is, so the choice is yours.

Easy Parmesan Knots

1, 12 oz tube refrigerated buttermilk biscuits
1/4 cup canola oil
3 tablespoons grated Parmesan
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon dried parsley

Preheat oven to 400. On a lightly floured surface, roll each biscuit into a 12 inch rope and tie into a knot, tucking the ends under the roll. Place on a large greased baking sheet. Bake at 400 for 8-10 minutes or until golden brown. Mix together canola oil, Parmesan, garlic powder, oregano, and parsley, brush this mixture on knots when they come out of the oven.

Hearty Hamburger Soup

I really love this soup recipe. It is more of a fall soup,thick and hearty, but since my kids have all started school I think I'm ready for hearty soups and pumpkin recipes again even though it's still 90 degrees outside. The Spicy V8 juice is the secret ingredient. I'm sure normal V8 would work, but the spicy V8 just adds more flavor (and it isn't spicy at all). I adapted this recipe from the "Beef Stew" recipe on the Southern Plate blog. I usually have these ingredients on hand (my husband likes V8 juice) so I'm sure I'll make this often.

Hearty Hamburger Soup

2 tablespoons butter
1 1/2 cups diced onions
4 large carrots, sliced
1 1/2 lbs lean ground beef
29 oz can petite diced tomatoes
2 cans Spicy V8 juice
2 cups water
4 teaspoons beef bouillon granules (or 4 cubes)
5 potatoes, peeled and cubed
2 cups frozen cut green beans
1 can corn, drained
1 teaspoon garlic salt
ground black pepper to taste

Melt butter in a pot. Add onions and saute until soft. Add carrots and cook until softened. Add ground beef and cook until browned. Add tomatoes, V8, water, bouillon, potatoes, green beans, corn, garlic salt, and pepper to taste. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 1 hour.

Magleby's Rolls

These rolls are so good! I'm so glad I found this recipe on the Your Home Based Mom blog. I've never been to Magleby's so I don't know how good of a copy cat recipe it is, but these rolls sure are addictive. The recipe uses Rhodes frozen dinner rolls so it is easy, but takes some time for the rolls to thaw and rise. My oven has a "proof" setting for helping breads to rise and it took about 3 1/2 hours for them to thaw and rise. I would guess you could get the same results from a warm oven (just set you oven to it's lowest temp, let it preheat, then turn it off and put the rolls in the warm oven to rise), otherwise the rising time can take 5-6 hours.

Magleby's Rolls

12 frozen dinner roll dough balls
about 1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup butter, melted
about 1/2 cup grated Parmesan
garlic powder
dried parsley

Place mayo, butter and Parmesan all into separate bowls and line them up. Take a frozen dough ball and dip the top half into the mayo, then the butter, then the Parmesan and put it into a greased muffin tin.. Repeat with remaining rolls. Sprinkle garlic powder and parsley onto each roll. Let rise until doubled in size (at room temp it can take 5-6 hours). Bake at 350 for 15-20 minutes or until golden on top and bottom.

Chicken Broccoli Casserole

Sorry for the horrible picture. It looks like chicken casserole mush, but it's yummy. I have had this recipe forever. I actually got it at my bridal shower (so I guess I shouldn't say "forever" I'm not that old :)) from a lovely lady in my mom's ward (LDS church congregation). I cook it every few years when I am in the mood for a ubiquitous chicken casserole and it never disappoints. It is creamy and comforting and despite it's quite visible vegetables my kids love it. I served it with canned peaches and Magleby's rolls. I've always thought about doubling the sauce - cream of chicken, mayo, milk, lemon juice, and curry powder - to make it even creamier, but have never done it. Maybe next time I make it, in a few years :), I'll try it and report back.

Chicken Broccoli Casserole

1 pkg frozen broccoli florets
3-4 cups cooked and cubed chicken
1 can cream of chicken
2/3 cup milk
1/2 teaspoon lemon juice
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/4 teaspoon curry powder
3 cups cooked rice
1 cup shredded cheddar
paprika (optional)

Put broccoli and chicken in a big mixing bowl. In a separate bowl combine cream of chicken, milk, lemon juice, mayo, and curry powder. Mix into the chicken and broccoli. Fold in the rice. Spread into a greased 9x13 baking dish. Sprinkle with paprika if desired. Sprinkle cheese over evenly. Bake at 350 for 30-40 minutes or until hot and bubbly and the cheese has melted.

Peach Pie Crescents

I got this quick and delicious dessert recipe from my friend Kari. It is fabulous. We had it for FHE the other night and everyone gobbled them up and asked for seconds. The pie crescents taste like little peach pies and with a scoop of vanilla ice cream... heavenly. You can also make these with apple pie filling or any other favorite pie filling. I might try raspberry next time.

Peach Pie Crescents

1-2 tubes crescent rolls (depending on how many you need)
1 can peach pie filling (or other flavor), 1 can is enough for 2 tubes crescent rolls
cinnamon sugar (I have a McCormick brand cinnamon sugar in a shaker, but you could just combine sugar and cinnamon to taste)

Take a triangle of crescent roll dough and place a dollop of pie filling in the middle. (I cut up the peaches in the can with a pair of scissors to make it easier to scoop out in smaller portions). Roll pointy end over the pie filling and place it with the pointy end underneath on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper (the filling leaks out so this makes for easier clean up). Sprinkle a good amount of cinnamon sugar over each roll. Bake at 350 for 15-18 minutes or until just beginning to brown. Serve alone or with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream.

Pineapple Sweet and Sour Meatballs

I am not quite sure how this recipe has not made it onto the blog yet. We love these meatballs. I guess I just never took a picture of the finished product before. I got this recipe years ago from a recipe swap. This meal comes together very quickly, especially if you use frozen meatballs like I always do. IKEA's frozen meatballs are my favorite (that's what I used this time), but if you don't have an IKEA near you, Armor meatballs are also good.

Pineapple Sweet and Sour Meatballs

meatballs, precooked (I use about 1 1/2 lbs for my family)

Sauce:
1 cup brown sugar
4 tablespoons cornstarch
1/2 cup white vinegar
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1, 15 oz can pineapple tidbits (drain off about 1/2 the juices)
1 1/2 cups water

Combine brown sugar and cornstarch in a large saucepan. Whisk in vinegar, soy sauce, and water. Stir over medium heat until it comes to a low boil. Add can of pineapple with some of the juices and stir until sauced is thickened and bubbly. Add cooked meatballs, tossing to coat. Heat through. Serve over rice.

Smashed Red Potatoes

I love smashed potatoes or loaded mashed potatoes as they are sometimes called at restaurants. Here's my at-home version (which is yummy if I don't say so myself). Really though, how can you go wrong with mashed potatoes and cheese and bacon. What a delicious and naughty combination. 

Smashed Red Potatoes

3 lb red potatoes
6 tablespoons butter, melted
1/2 cup half and half
1/4 - 1/2 cup sour cream
4 oz medium or sharp cheddar, shredded
1/4 cup chopped green onions
1/4 cup cooked and crumbled bacon
salt
pepper

Cut up potatoes and cook in boiling water until cooked through (over cooking the potatoes just a little makes for fluffier potatoes). Drain. Place cooked potatoes in the bowl of an electric mixer. Add melted butter, half and half, and sour cream and mix with paddle attachment until potatoes are broken up. Turn up speed and mix until potatoes are smoother, but still a little lumpy. Mix in by hand: cheddar, green onions, bacon, and salt and pepper to taste.

Broiled Flank Steak

My husband loves steak and I hardly ever cook it, partly because we don't have a grill at the moment and also because I find steak to be a little intimidating. This steak is really easy to cook though and because it's cooked under the broiler it was also fast. I got the recipe from the show Kelsey's Essentials and modified it just slightly. My kids do not like rare or even medium rare steak so I did cook it longer than the recipe called for, but feel free to cut down the cooking time for rarer steak. This served over some greens with a balsamic vinaigrette would be a lovely steak salad dinner. I served it with salad and smashed potatoes to make everyone happy, and it did work. My family all loved it and my husband was happy to have steak.:)

Broiled Flank Steak

1, 2 lb flank steak

Marinade:
1/4 cup worchestershire sauce
2 tablespoon brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon dry mustard
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
4 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 cup canola oil

In a small bowl mix together: worchestershire, brown sugar, mustard, 2 teaspoons kosher salt, 1 teaspoon pepper, garlic, onion powder and oil. Whisk well. Place steak in a ziplock bag and add marinade. Let sit at room temp. for 1 hour or refrigerate for 2 hours. Allow to come to room temp. before cooking.

Place marinaded steak on a rack fitted over a cookie sheet covered in foil or on a broiler pan. Cook for 10-15 minutes on each side. Remove from oven and allow to rest for 10 minutes. Slice into thin strips against the grain.

Spaghetti Pasta Salad

This salad tastes something like a simplified version of my Manly Pasta Salad. It can be made in one day so it's perfect for a weeknight side dish. It's a cheap and cheerful pasta salad that is sure to please almost everyone.


Spaghetti Pasta Salad

16 oz spaghetti, snapped into 2-3 inch pieces, cooked and drained
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
2 oz jar pimentoes
1 cup diced celery
1/2 cup diced green bell pepper
3 green onions, sliced
1/2 cup sliced or chopped black olives
4 oz medium cheddar, cubed
1/4 cup grated Parmesan
1/4 teaspoon cayenne
1 cup mayonnaise

Cook and drain the pasta according to package directions. Rinse with cold water until pasta is cooled. Allow to sit out to dry for a bit while you prepare the other ingredients.

Toss pasta and all ingredients in a large bowl. Chill for at least 2 hours before serving.

Food Nanny Sloppy Joes

This sloppy joes recipe is great! The sloppy joe meat ends up tasting a little like bbq beef, which I think is fantastic. We had the meat on homemade wheat rolls with Spaghetti Pasta Salad and corn on the cob. It was a hit with everyone and a great summer meal. You can serve this open face with a slice of cheddar cheese over each half of sandwich, then place under the broiler until cheese is melted. Yum.

Food Nanny Sloppy Joes

1 tablespoon butter
1/4 cup chopped onion
1 lb ground beef
1 cup ketchup
1/2 cup water (add more if needed)
1/4 cup brown sugar
2 tablespoons worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
2 teaspoons chili powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper

Melt butter in a skillet. Add onion and stir until soft. Add meat and cook until thoroughly cooked. Drain off fat. Add ketchup, water, brown sugar, worchestershire, vinegar, chili powder, salt, and pepper. Simmer for 20 minutes, adding more water as needed for the desired consistency. Serve on rolls or hamburger buns.

Pineapple Teriyaki Chicken

This is a very yummy and easy crockpot recipe from Carrie's Cooking Corner. Everyone in my family really liked it. Chicken thighs have the most flavor, but I bet you could use chicken breasts with great success as well. Thanks Carrie!

Pineapple Teriyaki Chicken

5 boneless skinless chicken thighs
1/4 cup Mr. Yosida's Marinade and Sauce
3/4 cup water
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 can pineapple chunks or crushed (you can use either 8 oz or 15 oz depending on how pineappley you want it - I used 8 oz can with juices)
1 teaspoon minced garlic
2 green onions, sliced

Combine all ingredients in a crockpot and cook for about 6 hours. Watch after about 5 hours to make sure chicken doesn't get dry. Break up chicken with a spatula. Either serve now over rice or you can thicken the sauce with the directions below.

*To thicken: combine 1/4 cup cornstarch with 1/2 cup water and mix until dissolved. Pour chicken and sauce into a saucepan, stir in the cornstarch/water mixture and bring to a boil. Serve over rice.