Spinach Balls

This recipe comes from my second grade teacher, Mrs. Moline, who got her students to probably try spinach for the first time ever during our class's St. Patrick's Day festivities. I still have the hand written recipe that I took down in class. I love these things because they taste amazing (the stuffing really makes it) and it is a great way to get your kids to eat spinach because they can't taste it. You can also freeze the balls before you bake them for future meals as well so make a bunch!!!

This recipe makes 15 two-inch balls.

Ingredients:

10 oz spinach (chopped, frozen)

1 package stuffing mix and seasoning

1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese

1/3 cup melted butter

3 beaten eggs

Method:

Cook and drain spinach. Let butter melt completely in warm spinach.  Then let mixture cool slightly.















Mix in stuffing mix, seasoning, parmesan cheese, and eggs.

Form into 2 inch sized balls - you can use an ice cream scoop to get even sized balls. Place in lightly greased baking dish.

Bake at 350 F (180 C)  for 12-15 minutes.

Ranch Potatoes

Potatoes are such wonderful vegetables and I love preparing them in so many ways.  This is a potato recipe I came up with on accident one day and now it's a family meal staple.  I had about a pound of little new potatoes I boiled up and some left over ranch dressing.  I put them together and wa-la - Ranch Potatoes!!!  I've experiemented since then with different types of ranch dressing but by far the Hidden Valley Ranch buttermilk mix that you whip up with mayo and milk has been the best combination so far.

Ingredients:

1 lb baby new potatoes

1/2 cup ranch dressing

salt and pepper to taste

Method:

Clean potatoes and add to 3 quart pan.  Fill with pan with cool water to cover the potatoes by at least 1".  Heat until boiling and then continue to boil for 10-12 minutes until they are tender enought that you can poke through the potatoes with a fork.

Drain the water and let potatoes cool slightly.  Cut up potatoes in half or quarters to get 1/2" thick pieces.  Put them in a lightly greased baking dish.

Cover the potatoes with ranch dressing and toss gently to cover the potatoes.  Bake uncovered at 350 F for about 20 minutes.  Add more ranch if you want the potatoes a bit creamier.

German Red Cabbage

One of my most favorite things about visiting Germany is eating the food. It was one of the places that the food made Germany so fabulous (my husband would say the beer though). One unique side that I couldn't resist was the red cabbage. I was craving it so badly that I found a highly reviewed recipe online and made it. Now my kids weren't too fond of the smell that was sent through the house, but I loved it and I felt like I was back in Bavaria. It does take some time to cook, but so worth it. I served it with chicken schnitzel and fried potatoes for a perfect southern Germany meal.

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons butter
5 cups shredded red cabbage (approx. one small head)
1 cup sliced green apples
1/3 cup apple cider vinegar
3 tablespoons water
1/4 cup white sugar
2 1/4 teaspoons salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

Method:

Shred your cabbage.

Place butter, cabbage, apples, and sugar into a large pot. Pour in the vinegar and water, and season with salt, pepper, and clove.

Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, then reduce heat to low, cover.

Simmer until the cabbage is tender - about 1 1/2 to 2 hours.

Just Like KFC Cole Slaw

If you like Kentucky Fried Chicken's cole slaw, you will LOVE this recipe. It's pretty darn close to the same thing and relatively easy to make. You can buy the preshredded coleslaw mix to make it super easy on yourself but if you want to shred up your own cabbage it's not that hard either. It's super easy with a food processor, but if you're like me and don't have one you can go to town with a 1/2 of the head on a hand grater. I usually cut the recipe in half for my family to eat some for two meals worth.

Ingredients:

8 cups shredded cabbage

1/4 cup shredded carrots

2 Tbsp mined onion

1/3 cup granulated sugar

1/2 tsp salt

1/8 tsp pepper

1/4 cup milk

1/2 cup mayonnaise

1/4 cup buttermilk

1 1/2 Tbsp white vinegar

2 1/2 Tbsp lemon juice

Method:

Combine cabbage, carrot and onion together in large bowl. Mix together the rest of the ingredients to make the dressing. Add dressing and mix well. Serve immediately or refrigerate until ready.

Bacon Braised Cabbage

Feeling a itch to eat some British comfort food, I dug into my Jamie Oliver cookbooks and found this simple savory recipe. I think you could make this for a warm side during the winter and along with some of those grilled favorites in the summer time. Obviously anything with bacon in it has to be good in my opinion, but it's a great way to dress up a green veggie and new way I found to use cabbage.

Ingredients:

1 head savoy, green or spring cabbage

2 cloves garlic

6 rashers or slices of smoked streaky bacon

olive oil

2 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce

2 knobs of butter (about 2 Tbsp)

2 chicken or vegetable stock cube + 285ml (10 oz) boiling water

salt and pepper

Method:

Strip all the leaves off 1 head of savoy, green or spring cabbage and wash them.

Roll up the leaves together, like a cigar, and slice finely.

Peel and finely chop 2 cloves of garlic (or you can cheat like me and use a garlic press.)

Slice up 6 rashers of bacon. Place the bacon in a large fry pan on a medium heat with a lug of olive oil and stir around for a few minutes until perfectly crispy and golden.

Stir in the garlic and as it begins to color add 2 Tbsp of worcestershire sauce, 2 knobs of butter and all of your finely sliced cabbage.

Stir well, give the pan a shake and turn the heat to high. Drop 1 chicken or veggie stock cube in 285 ml (10 oz) of boiling water; pour this stock into the pan and give it all a good stir.

Place the lid on top and cook for 5 minutes; then remove the lid and continue to cook for another 5 minutes. Taste, and season with salt and pepper if you think it needs it.

Drizzle it with a lug of EVOO (extra virgin olive oil) just before serving.

Creamy Potato Salad

One of my favorite things about summer time is getting to make and eat loads of potato salad. I've had all different kinds but this is my all-time favorite recipe because its creamy and I just can't stop eating it. For those of you from my hometown, you make recognize this as the Traditional Potato Salad that you can buy at the local grocery store...I nicked the recipe before I graduated high school....shhhh!!!

Ingredients:

2 1/2 lbs (1 kg) new potatoes, cooked, peeled, and diced

3 hard boiled eggs, diced

1/4 cup onion, chopped

3/4 tsp salt

1 1/2 Tbsp mustard

1 Tbsp sugar

1 1/2 cups Miracle Whip (can use mayonnaise but it will taste a little different)

1/3 cup half 'n half/single cream

Method:

Mix together Miracle Whip, mustard, sugar, salt, and half 'n half (cream).

Add diced onions, hard boiled eggs, and potatoes.

Mix together well. Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours before serving so that it is cool all the way through.

***Note: If I am going to bring this salad to a picnic or get together, I like to dress it up with a sliced hard boiled egg garnish on top and sprinkle it with paprika.

Roasted Sweet Potatoes

Sweet potatoes are the "healthier" potato so while on the South Beach Diet's Phase 2 you can have these wonderful root veggies sparingly. I love roast potatoes so I thought roasting sweet potatoes would be just as good and adding a bit of cinnamon and brown sugar substitute (Splenda's Brown Sugar Substitute) really brought out their natural sweetness. If you are not dieting, regular brown sugar makes this dish great!!!

Ingredients:

3 sweet potatoes

1 -2 Tbsp olive oil

1/4- 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

1 Tbsp brown sugar or brown-sugar substitute*

Method:

Boil whole sweet potatoes for 20 minutes. Slightly cool, peel and dice up sweet potatoes. Toss diced potatoes with oil, cinnamon, and brown sugar to coat evenly. Pour out on to baking pan in a single layer. Bake at 400 F / 200 C for 15 minutes or until outsides are slightly crispy.

Crockpot Stuffing

This is my mother-in-law's amazing stuffing recipe which my husband looks forward to every Thanksgiving. The real key is to get the bread dried out really well so that when you add the chicken broth you get a nice sticky but not soaking stuffing. What is really great about this recipe is that you free up oven space on Thanksgiving since this one goes in the slow-cooker. I like to get all the bits cut up and measured out the night before and then throw it all in the crockpot on Thanksgiving Day before I put in the turkey.

Serves 16-18

Ingredients:

1 cup butter

2 cups chopped onion

2 cups chopped celery

2 cups chopped mushrooms

12 cups dry bread cubes

2 medium apples, chopped

1 tsp poultry seasoning

2 well beaten eggs

1 1/2 tsp salt

1 1/2 tsp dried sage

1 tsp dried thyme

1/2 tsp pepper

3 1/2 cups chicken broth

How to Make Dry Bread Cubes:

Lay out 1 loaf white bread for 12+ hours on wire cooling racks.

Cut into 1/2 inch cubes

Method:

Melt butter in a large skillet and saute onion, celery, mushrooms and apples.

Pour over bread crumbs in large bowl (or large pan like a 9x13 casserole dish). Add seasonings and toss well.

Pour in the broth and mix well. Add eggs and mix well again.

Pack mixture lightly into the crockpot. Cover and set on high for 45 minutes then reduce to low for 4-6 hours. Add a little more chicken broth if it starts to dry out.

Butter Parsley Potatoes

My mom used to make these all the time and they are so fast because you can cook them in microwave if you don't have a lot of time. I've also tried cutting the potatoes in cubes, in hashbrowns, and thick slices to give this dish a little variation. You can also spice it up with some red peppers or green onions.

Ingredients:

4-5 medium potatoes, diced into 1/2 - 1 " cubes

1 medium onion, chopped

1/4 cup butter

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp parsley flakes

salt and pepper to taste

Serves 4

Method:

Melt butter in microwave in casserole dish.

Add potatoes, onion, garlic powder, parsley, salt and pepper. Place lid on casserole dish and toss the mix around until potatoes are coated.

Bake for 45 minutes at 350 F / 180 C or cook on HIGH in your microwave for 12 - 15 minutes or until potatoes are tender.

Oriental Cabbage Salad

I'm not much of a lettuce eater so salads haven't always been my cup of tea but my friend Lana made this cabbage-based salad one time for lunch and I LOVE it!!! It's great to have alone or as a side to lighten up a meal.

Makes 6 to 8 servings

Ingredients:

4 cups shredded cabbage (200 g)

2 cups diced, cooked chicken

1 package chicken flavored Ramen noodles

4 green onions, chopped

2 Tbsp seasame seeds

1/4 cup white vinegar

1/4 cup salad oil

2 Tbsp sugar

1/2 tsp salt

1 flavoring packet from Ramen noodles

1/2 cup slivered or sliced almonds (opt)

Method:

Place the chicken and cabbage in a mixing bowl.

Break noodles up and place in colander. Pour boiling water over to soften slightly.

Add to cabbage with green onions and sesame seeds.

Combine vinegar, salad oil, sugar, salt and contents in flavoring packet.

Pour over cabbage, mixing well.

Cover and refrigerate overnight or for several hours. Just before serving, stir in the almonds if you would like.

***Note: I like to use the pre-packaged mixed cabbage pack that slices the cabbage in 1/4 inch slices and is a combination of green cabbage and savoy cabbage. I've also seen this made with the really fine shredded cole slaw mixes as well.