I like to fuss with dinner on Sunday to celeberate the new week and reward my hardworking husband. This weekend, however, he decided to strip the kitchen floor so we could put down a new coat of wax and revive the look of the kitchen. He didn't finish until three in the afternoon. What to do? We couldn't go out for dinner because we gave that up for Lent . . . although there was a good deal of temptations on that subject!
The end result was a trip to the nearby market where they not only had sales but I had a coupon! Ground beef was on sale. Tacos! Great idea except they only had soft corn tortillas but I said I would go ahead and fry them for the tacos. Then we noticed the flour tortillas were on sale and we switched to burritos. I could fry up and spice the ground beef and we could each make ourselves a hot, tasty meal with as much meat and cheese as we liked. By the time I got home to the kitchen, I remembered a favorite - baked burritos - less fuss and much liked and we hadn't had them in awhile. They are now residing in the oven, meat bubbling and cheese melting nicely. Naturally, this turned out to be the hottest day of the week at 80 degrees but we won't discuss that and try and forget the oven is on right now.
Baked burritos evolved when the children were small and I had only a certain amount of time between chores and homeschooling to get a meal ready for dinner. It's simple but tastes like you fussed a lot. You just prepare your favorite burrito filling and fold it into a tortilla like you were making a regular burrito. You squeeze them together in a greased baking pan, top with shredded cheese, salsa, and bake. Of course, you can be creative with adding sour cream, different cheeses, other meat fillings, just a bean filling, etc. Anyway, remembering it save the day and dinner is almost done.
Sunday, March 4, 2012
Love the Attitude in this Quote . . .
A
pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees the
opportunity in every difficulty.
- Sir Winston
Churchill
My Version of Cranberry Jam . . .
I don't have a set recipe for Cranberry Jam. I basically follow the cranberry sauce recipe usually found on the bag of cranberries and then put it through the blender to even it out. My usual recipe goes something like this!
Cranberry Jam
4 cups fresh or frozen cranberries
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
1 tablespoon orange zest
1 cup water
1 cup fresh orange juice
I mix all the ingredients in a large pot and bring it to a boil, stirring constantly. I turn it down to a low simmer but keep an eye on it. When the mixture thickens, I take it off the heat and let it set. When it is cooled off a bit, I put it through the blender and then pour it into canning jars. It isn't usually as thick as jam but it works well on Irish Soda Bread. Keep the jam refrigerated.
Cranberry Jam
4 cups fresh or frozen cranberries
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
1 tablespoon orange zest
1 cup water
1 cup fresh orange juice
I mix all the ingredients in a large pot and bring it to a boil, stirring constantly. I turn it down to a low simmer but keep an eye on it. When the mixture thickens, I take it off the heat and let it set. When it is cooled off a bit, I put it through the blender and then pour it into canning jars. It isn't usually as thick as jam but it works well on Irish Soda Bread. Keep the jam refrigerated.
St. Patrick's Day Irish Soda Bread
I may have posted this recipe once upon a time but thought I'd refresh the idea in everyone's mind as St. Patrick's Day is approaching and it is a great, easy bread to enjoy for breakfast on that morning or any other morning. Our favorite way is with cranberry jam.
Irish Soda Bread
4 cups all purpose flour
5 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 cup buttermilk
1 egg
Topping
1/4 cup butter, melted
1/4 cup buttermilk
Preheat over to 375 degrees. Use vegetable oil spray to grease a large baking sheet.
In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and butter. STir in the 1 cup of buttermilk and the egg. Turn the dough out on a lightly-floured surface and knead just to smooth out a bit. Fort dough into a round loaf and place on prepared baking sheet.
In a smaller bowl, combine the melted butter and 1/4 cup buttermilk. use this to brush the loaf. With a shart knife, cut an 'X' in the top of the loaf.
Bake in the oven for 45-50 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the loaf comes out clean. You can add to the crust by brushing the loaf with more of the topping as it bakes.
I always double the recipe because it goes that fast around here. Some people like to add a tablespoon of caraway seeds for a more savory taste.
Irish Soda Bread
4 cups all purpose flour
5 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 cup buttermilk
1 egg
Topping
1/4 cup butter, melted
1/4 cup buttermilk
Preheat over to 375 degrees. Use vegetable oil spray to grease a large baking sheet.
In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and butter. STir in the 1 cup of buttermilk and the egg. Turn the dough out on a lightly-floured surface and knead just to smooth out a bit. Fort dough into a round loaf and place on prepared baking sheet.
In a smaller bowl, combine the melted butter and 1/4 cup buttermilk. use this to brush the loaf. With a shart knife, cut an 'X' in the top of the loaf.
Bake in the oven for 45-50 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the loaf comes out clean. You can add to the crust by brushing the loaf with more of the topping as it bakes.
I always double the recipe because it goes that fast around here. Some people like to add a tablespoon of caraway seeds for a more savory taste.
Homemade Sweet Pickle Relish
Thinking and planning the garden has me looking out for recipes to use the surplus produce. I found this recipe in my bits and pieces of saved papers and immediately wanted to try it. Sigh . . . The cucumbers aren't even planted, yet, and bell peppers are still too expensive! Gotta wait but it is definitely on my 'want to do' list this year.
Homemade Sweet Pickle Relish
6 cucumbers, peeled and sliced 1/2-inch thick (If you use pickling cucumbers, you'd probably need 12 as they are much smaller.)
2 red onions, diced
1 green bell pepper, diced
1 red bell pepper, diced.
1/4 cup coarse salt
1 cukp cider vinegar
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 tablespoon celery seeds
1 tablespoon mustard seeds
1/2 teaspoon caraway seeds
Mix the vegetables with the salt. Place in a plastic colander over a bowl to catch the juices and refrigerate overnight.
The next day, thorougly rinse the vegetables under cold water and place in a pot. Add the rest of the ingredients to the vegetables. Bring to a boil over medium heat. Remove from heat, cover, and let stand for 20 minutes.
Transfer the mixture to a food processor and pulse to desired consistency. You may have to do this in batches so as not to overload the machine. You can spoon this into canning jars but it will have to be refrigerated.
Homemade Sweet Pickle Relish
6 cucumbers, peeled and sliced 1/2-inch thick (If you use pickling cucumbers, you'd probably need 12 as they are much smaller.)
2 red onions, diced
1 green bell pepper, diced
1 red bell pepper, diced.
1/4 cup coarse salt
1 cukp cider vinegar
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 tablespoon celery seeds
1 tablespoon mustard seeds
1/2 teaspoon caraway seeds
Mix the vegetables with the salt. Place in a plastic colander over a bowl to catch the juices and refrigerate overnight.
The next day, thorougly rinse the vegetables under cold water and place in a pot. Add the rest of the ingredients to the vegetables. Bring to a boil over medium heat. Remove from heat, cover, and let stand for 20 minutes.
Transfer the mixture to a food processor and pulse to desired consistency. You may have to do this in batches so as not to overload the machine. You can spoon this into canning jars but it will have to be refrigerated.
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