Friday, February 27, 2009

Kid Friendly Recipes & Irish Recipes

March is Irish-American Heritage Month, and of course St. Patrick's Day falls on the 17th, so what better time than to share some Irish recipes? Also in this issue, a few new recipes that the kids will enjoy, and they can help make them!

Oh, and on another note, I see that it's National Nutrition Month, but at the same time it's also National Frozen Food Month! Isn't that a little odd? Which one do you think came first and who's trying to outdo who here? Oh yeah, and March 1st is Peanut Butter Lover's Day. A little ironic the timing on that with all the peanut butter problems in the news these days. Be sure to visit our section on peanut butter recipes if you are a peanut butter lover!

In honor of National Noodle Month we've decided that this week's featured pick will be pasta. See all pasta recipes here.  

In This Issue:
  1. Pasta Pick
  2. New Recipes Added
  3. Frugal Tips
  4. Irish Recipes
  5. Contest!

Pasta Pick
I tested this recipe myself. Now just so you know, I am not much of a Hamburger Helper fan, and this recipe really reminded me of that. So if you really like Hamburger Helper, you should definitely try this. It's decidedly flavorful and yes, frugal too! A great casserole that can be thrown together fairly quick. If you are looking for other pasta recipes, we have a great selection!



Beef Ziti Casserole
Click the recipe name to access a printable version

8 oz. ziti macaroni, uncooked
1 (16 oz.) can Del Monte cut green beans, drained
1 (11 oz.) can Green Giant Niblets corn, drained
1 lb. ground beef
2 (10 3/4 oz.) cans Campbell's condensed golden mushroom soup
1 (14 1/2 oz.) can Del Monte stewed tomatoes
1 tsp. dried basil leaves, crushed
1/4 tsp. pepper
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
2 c. shredded sharp Cheddar cheese

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Cook ziti according to package directions; drain. Return cooked ziti and vegetables (green beans and corn) to cooking pot used to cook ziti. Meanwhile, in 10 inch skillet over medium heat, cook beef until browned, stirring to separate meat; drain fat. Stir in soup, tomatoes, basil, pepper, and garlic to meat. Heat thoroughly. Add soup mixture to ziti mixture; mix well. Spoon into greased 13 x 9 inch baking dish.

Cover with foil. Bake 15 minutes. Uncover; sprinkle with cheese. Bake 5 minutes more or until cheese melts. Makes 7 1/2 cups or 6 servings.


You may also like:


Crockpot BBQ Chicken: Want barbecued chicken but don't want to wait for summer? Crank up the slow cooker and follow this recipe for a tasty family meal!
Click here for the recipe

Green Rice: If you are searching for something different then this dish is for you. Feeling adventurous? Try this green rice recipe, step out of your comfort zone and try something new.
Click here for the recipe


Browse all of our recipes!


New Recipes
We have recently added some new recipes which can be found on our What's New page. These recipes include kid friendly cuisine and several irish themed meals. Here are the latest additions to our recipe collection of thousands:


KID FRIENDLY IDEAS
Banana Strawberry Sandwiches
Butterscotch Toast
Cheesy French Fries
French Toast Dolls
Milk Toast
Orange Biscuits
Peanut Butter & Jelly Foldovers
Pineapple Oatmeal
Scrambled Eggs in Toast Cups
Wheat Cereal in Apple Juice

IRISH RECIPES
Corned Beef and Cheese Rolls
Corned Beef and Hot Slaw on Rye
Corned Beef anmd Cabbage

MORE NEW RECIPES
Easy Tuna Casserole
Hamburger Soup
New England Clam Chowder
Orange French Toast
Orange Pineapple Ambrosia
Orange Pineapple Jubilee



Frugal Tip

Make Your own Broth
If you are able to find chicken on sale, it's a great time to take advantage! Whether it be a whole fryer or drumsticks and thighs, you can easily make your own chicken broth while cooking your chicken. Wash chicken under cool water and place in a large stock pot. Cover chicken with water and add the following:

1 large onion, unpeeled, cut in quarters
3 celery stalks, rinsed and cut in chunks, leaves and all 
3 carrots, rinsed, cut in chunks, ends and all
1-2 garlic cloves, cut in half, peels and all
salt and pepper to taste

There's no set rule, you can add whatever spices, herbs and vegetables that you want to your broth. Keeping the ends on your vegetables has tremendous health benefits as the skins and roots contain a high percentage of vitamins. Carrots will give your broth a lovely golden color!

Bring the chicken and vegetables to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer, covered, for 3 hours. Remove from heat and let cool a bit, about 20 minutes. 

Use a slotted spoon to remove the chicken pieces to a bowl. Strain the liquid into another large bowl or pot. I usually do mine twice, once to remove the veggie remnants and a second time through a finer sieve to remove any bits that made it through the first strain. You can discard the veggie pieces or you can run them through a blender or food processor and add them back to your broth. Place the bowl of chicken into the refrigerator and allow it too chill so that it is easier to handle. Place container of broth in the refrigerator as well.

When broth is cool, a layer of fat should have formed on the top. Skim the fat off and place broth into 1 cup portions. I use zipper sandwich bags to store my broth. Place one cup of broth into each baggie and zip closed. Lay the broth bags flat (use a cookie sheet if you have room in your freezer) and freeze. Once frozen you can stand them up and stack them, they fit nicely in my side door. :)

Remove chicken from the refrigerator and shred the meat off the bone. Discard the bones and skins. Store chicken in the refrigerator for a day or two or freeze.



Irish Recipes
With Irish-American Heritage Month and St. Patrick's Day upon us, we felt it fitting to share some of our Irish recipes with you. While they may not all be authentic recipes from Ireland, we've found that many Irish-Americans have created their own versions. Here's some of ours for you to enjoy!


Contest!
If you follow our "Cooking with Alicia & Annie" blog, you know that every month we giveaway fun kitchen & home related prizes. All you have to do is make any of our recipes, then snap a picture and post about it. Now we understand that many people don't have blogs, that's why we are opening this up to those who submit photos on our site of recipes they have made. All you have to do is pick a recipe, upload your photo to it, then email us and let us know!

Remember, we love hearing from you, so please post your comments :)

Thursday, February 12, 2009

New Ethnic Recipes & Cooking Terms

This week I was feeling a little ethnic. I've added several new German and French recipes for you to enjoy (highlighted below) and thought I would also include some of our other ethnic recipes. Whether it's Chinese food, Italian dishes or Mexican meals, I've included several just for you!


Oh, and on a quick note, February is National Cherry Month! Be sure to check out some of our recipes using cherries to celebrate this wonderfully tasty fruit.

In This Issue:
  1. Ethnic Pick
  2. New Recipes Added
  3. Cooking Terms
  4. Need Your Input
  5. Great Features

Ethnic Pick
I love, love, love authentic Mexican and Chinese food! The other day we had some really mild weather which gave me the urge to cook on my grill. I started thinking of all the wonderful warm weather foods that I make for cookouts and barbecues. One of those recipes is salsa. I love salsa with a great big bowl of tortilla chips, yum! So I thought I would share with you some of Annie's great salsa recipes.



Mexican Salsa
Click the recipe name to access a printable version

1 tomato, finely chopped and well drained
1 onion, finely chopped
5-10 cilantro leaves, finely chopped or 1/4 tsp. dried cilantro leaves
1 jalapeno pepper, finely chopped and seeded

If chopping fresh jalapeno peppers, cover hands with plastic gloves or plastic bags. Can substitute above ingredients with 1 (15 oz.) can Mexican style tomatoes, well drained, and finely chopped with 1/4 teaspoon of chili pepper powder or black pepper powder. Mix tomato, onion, cilantro and pepper into 3 cup serving bowl. Chill thoroughly. Prior to serving, squeeze lemon into salsa and mix. Serve with tortilla chips, corn bread sticks, pita bread slices, other plain chips or as a side sauce for eggs, fish, chicken, pork or beef dishes. Use 1/4 lemon to squeeze over top. Can also add chopped cucumber!


You may also like:


Italian Bread: This delicious bread is easy to make and smells so good while baking. Start 3-4 hours ahead to allow for rise and bake times.
Click here for the recipe

Chow Mein: This is a tasty Americanized version of chow mein using ground beef, a great frugal alternative, making it an inexpensive family meal.
Click here for the recipe



Browse all of our ethnic recipes!


New Recipes
We have recently added some new recipes which can be found on our What's New page. These recipes come from Germany and France but have been eaten on plenty of American tables.  Here are the latest additions to our recipe collection of thousands:

FRENCH
French Onion Soup
Leg of Lamb with White Beans (Gigot Montaigu)
Caramel Custard Ring (Creme Caramel Renversee)
Chicken in White Wine (Coq au Vin Blanc)
Lobster in Tomato Sauce (Homard a l'Amoricaine)
Mousse au Chocolat (chocolate mousse)
Pepper Steak (Entrecote au Poivre)
Potatoes Anna (Pommes de Terre Anna)

GERMAN
Braised Celery with Mushrooms
Chilled Raspberry Pudding
German Fried Potatoes
Hasenpfeffer
Hazelnut Torte
Herring in Dill Sauce
Lentil Soup
Potato Dumplings
Sauerbraten



Cooking Terms

pare : To cut off the outer skin of something; peel.

ricer : A utensil with small holes through which boiled potatoes or other soft food can be pushed to form particles of a similar size to grains of rice.

Proof : To activate yeast and ensure it is alive by dissolving it in warm water and setting it aside in a warm place for 5 to 10 minutes. If it swells and becomes bubbly, it is alive.

Dutch Oven : A thick-walled iron (usually cast iron) cooking pot with a tight-fitting lid.

If you have a question on certain cooking terms, ask us and we'll share the answer here!




We need your input!
When you subscribed to Annie's Recipes, what were you hoping to receive in your inbox? We want to improve our newsletter and bring you what YOU are looking for in a recipe site. It's easy to leave us feedback! Just click the word "comments" at the bottom of this post and fill in your information. Please tell us what you want to see from our site!




Great Features!
If you haven't already, be sure to check out all of our new features implemented just for you! Remember, you can now print, email, comment on, rate, upload pictures and save recipes in a recipe box on the site. We add new recipes each week, so be sure to check the what's new page whenever you visit the site.

Remember, we love hearing from you, so please post your comments :)
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