Ingredients:
Makes 10

• 1.5 pound chicken breasts
• 1.5 pound strip steak
• 1 yellow bell pepper
• 1 orange bell pepper
• 1 green bell pepper
• 1 red onion
• 16 oz. fresh mushrooms
• 2-3 tomatoes
• 1 zucchini

Marinade:

• Raspberry vinaigrette
• 2 tsp Cookies® All Purpose Seasoning

Do this:
Cut meat into 2 inch cubes and marinade in vinaigrette and Cookies seasoning overnight in refrigerator. Cut bell peppers, onion and tomatoes in 2-3″ inch wedges and slice zucchini. Clean mushrooms, cut stems and leave whole. Push the meat and vegetables onto metal skewers using 5 pieces of meat per skewer. If using bamboo skewers, be sure to soak in warm water for 10-15 minutes before using to prevent them from burning on the grill.
Place shish kabobs on grill turning often until meat is cooked and browned. Save the marinade and brush it on shish kabobs while they are grilling for more flavor.
I served the shish kabobs with a tossed green salad and scalloped potatoes with cheddar cheese.

Cut meat into 2″ cubes and marinade overnight in refrigerator

Cut tomatoes and bell peppers into large wedges

Now cut the onions into wedges and slice zucchini

Clean mushrooms and cut stems. Leave whole

Push the meat and vegetable onto metal or bamboo skewers using at least 5 pieces of meat per skewer. Place on hot grill

Grill shish kabobs until chicken is cooked thoroughly

Serve with tossed salad and potatoes

There are so many things you can use to stuff manicotti. We had a box of manicotti and all the ingredients on hand to make this beef stuffed manicotti and it was extremely tasty. You can either make this recipe as is, or perhaps you would like to use it as a starting point and alter it to suit your taste. For example — add some cottage cheese to the meat filling or use mozarella cheese instead of the cheddar.
The fun part of cooking is changing a recipe and making it uniquely your own!

Ingredients:
Makes 8 Manicotti in 8″ x 8″ casserole dish
4 servings

Meat filling:

• 1 lb. ground beef
• 3/4 C chopped onion
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp black pepper
• 1 T dry oregano
• 1 T parsley flakes
• 3 T tomato paste
• 1/2 C water

Manicotti and sauce:

• 8 boiled manicotti
• 12 oz. tomato sauce
• 1/2 C water
• 1 C shredded cheddar cheese

Do this:

Saute chopped the onion and garlic in 1 T margarine until onions are translucent then add the ground beef and fry until brown. Now add the seasonings, tomato paste and water stirring to combine, simmer and allow the water to evaporate.  Set aside to cool and now is the time to boil the manicotti in water with a tablespoon of oil for 7 minutes.

Drain the manicotti and add about a cup of cold water in the pot to keep the manicotti moist and to cool them down so they can be handled. Fill each manicotti with the meat and place in an 8″ x 8″ greased casserole dish placing 6 down the center and 1 on each side. Sprinkle with 1/2 C shredded cheddar cheese. Dilute the tomato sauce with 1/2 C water and pour on the manicotti then sprinkle the remaining 1/2 C shredded cheese on top.
Bake in a pre-heated 375º oven for 40 minutes. Serve with a tossed green salad and hot rolls.

Saute onion and garlic then brown the ground beef. Add tomato paste, spices and water. Stir to blend and simmer until water has evaporated

Stuff the cooked manicotti with the meat and place in greased casserole dish

Sprinkle half of the cheese on the manicotti

Pour the diluted tomato sauce over the cheddar cheese

Sprinkle the remaining cheddar cheese on top and bake in 375º oven for 40 minutes.

Nicely browned in the oven and ready to serve

This is similar to the meat sauce on pasta that is served in Swedish schools and I have been told that it is everyone’s favorite! We (yes, my husband cooks too) made this for the first time today and my Swedish husband was the taste tester and said it was very close to what he remembers which he hasn’t had in 27 years. He is a one happy man tonight!
We made this meat sauce a bit different than the usual way by not browning the ground meats before adding the remaining ingredients… let it all cook together. Less tomato sauce allows the flavors of the meat and other ingredients come through… very very GOOD 
Recipe adapted from Swedish food blog Kryddburken

Pasta “al dente”

Simmer meat sauce for 1 hour

Ingredients:
6 servings

• 1 onion diced
• 1 stalk celery, finely diced
• 1 T sugar
• 1 lb. ground pork
• 1 lb. ground beef
• 1/2 C tomato paste
• 1/2 tsp. basil
• 1/2 C ketchup
• 1 T beef bouillion (Better than Bouillion)
• 2 C water (more if needed)
• salt/pepper

Do this:
In large pot sauté diced onions in 2 T margarine until onions are translucent. Sauté diced celery with the sugar in 1 T margarine in a separate pan for 5 minutes and add to the large pot. Now put the ground meats and the rest of the ingredients in the pot. Stir until meat is cooked and simmer with lid for 1-1 hour. Pulse with stick blender for 10-15 seconds. Thicken with 2-3 tablespoons of corn starch (not flour) so the sauce stays clear.
Serve on cooked “al dente” pasta with a salad and bread.

Ingredients:
Make approximately 100 meatballs

• 2  lb ground beef
• 2  lb ground pork
• 1  medium onion, minced (we use the handy chopper)
• 1  C  fine ground bread crumbs
• 1/2 C water or milk
• 2  eggs
• 1 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 tsp pepper

Do this:
Put all ingredients into a large 5 qt. bowl and mix with hands until well blended. Form into small balls and place on a well greased 17″ x 11″ jelly roll pan. Bake at 395º F for 15 minutes then roll the meatballs around a bit and bake for an additional 15 minutes or until browned. Place browned meatballs in a covered casserole dish to keep warm and proceed baking the remaining meatballs.
Serve with lingonberries and mashed potatoes. Want your mashed potatoes to taste exceptional? Use whipping cream instead of milk – oh so good!!

Place the meatballs on a jelly roll pan and bake at 395º

Bake until nicely browned

Felix Lingonberries

 
Beautiful lingonberries

Swedish meatballs (Köttbullar), lingonberries and mashed potatoes

Quick and easy Nacho Cheese dip for a tasty snack or as a side dish with you summer picnic. This recipe originates from New Mexico where I lived for a short while many years ago. Nice place to visit but I was not crazy about living in New Mexico as I like to be surrounded by lots of green grass and trees! Sorry, don’t meat to offend anyone… just my opinion.

Ingredients:

• 1 pound ground beef
• 8 oz. Velveeta Cheese
• 1 can Cream of Mushroom Soup
• 16 oz. Picante Sauce (Medium)
• 1/4 C milk
• Tostido Corn Chips

Do this:
Brown the ground beef in a large saucepan on medium-high heat. Once browned, lower heat and add cubed Velveeta cheese stirring until melted. Add cream of mushroom soup (undiluted) to meat mixture and stir to combine. Now add the Picante sauce and the milk. Bring to a slow simmer for a few minutes and serve with corn chips. I like to pour the dip on my chips or you may place the hot dip in a bowl.

Brown the ground beef in a large saucepan on medium-high heat.

Lower heat then add 8 oz. cubed Velveeta cheese and add to ground beef. Stir until melted.

Stir in undiluted Cream of Mushroom soup, picante sauce and milk. Simmer for a few minutes and serve with corn chips.

 I had a boneless top round beef roast in the freezer waiting to be cooked so today I decided to make a beef stew using some ingredients that I already had on hand. It is similar to Swedish Kalops(pork) but I used beef  in this recipe and I added mushrooms and tomatoes for a different variation and it was absolutely delicious!

Here’s a challenge for you. Using beef or pork, saute some onions, brown the meat and then use your imagination with the ingredients you have on hand to come up with your own stew recipe – it’s too easy!

Ingredients:
Serves 6

• 2 lb. top round boneless beef roast
• 1 leek
• 1 small can sliced mushrooms
• 3 T beef bouillion (Better than Bouillion)
• 2-3 carrot
• 2 small tomatoes
• 3 bay leaves
• 3 C water
• 1/2 C cream or creme fraiche (add before serving)
• 1 tsp black pepper 

Do this:

Trim fat and cut beef into 1 inch pieces and  place in hot oil using a dutch oven until browned using 1 T syrup to enhance the browning process. While the meat is browning sauté onions until translucent in frying pan then add drained mushrooms and cook with onions for a few more minutes.  

Peel the carrots and tomatoes, cut into small pieces and add to stew along with the leeks, mushrooms, bouillion, pepper, water and bay leaves. Simmer for 2 hours.

Remove bay leaves and stir in the cream. Thicken with Wondra flour and serve with mashed or boiled potatoes. 

Chop leek and sauté in butter until translucent. Add the drained mushrooms and sauté an additional few minutes

Cut beef into small pieces and brown in dutch oven. Add 1 T syrup to help with the browning.

Peel, slice and chop tomatoes and carrots. Add all remaining ingredients with the exception of cream

Simmer for 2 hours until meat is tender. Add the cream after removing bay leaves and thicken slightly with Wondra flour

I wanted to share my lasagna recipe with you so this is what we had today for Sunday dinner. Please allow 3-4 hours preparation time as the meat sauce needs to simmer 2-3 hours. We all have our favorite meals that we make often and when I can’t get my creative juices flowing I fall back on lasagna!
I broke tradition today and did not have a tossed green salad with the lasagna – instead I made variation #2 of the Fruit Salad with Creamy Citrus Salad Dressing and it got rave reviews from the family!

This recipe has been in my family for 40+ years and is the only lasagna recipe I use. You know the saying   “if it ain’t broke don’t fix it! ”

Ingredients:
Serves 10

• 1 lb. lasagna noodles
• 1 C small curd cottage cheese
• 2 C mozzarella grated cheese
• 1/2 C romano grated cheese
• meat sauce

Meat sauce:

• 3 lb. ground beef
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 2 cloves garlic, crushed and minced
• 3 cans tomato paste (small cans)
• 2 C water
• 2 tsp. dried or fresh chopped parsley
• 2 tsp oregano if desired
• salt/pepper

Do this:
In large pot saute onion and garlic in 2 T margarine until onions are clear then add the ground beef and brown. After meat is browned add the tomato paste, water and parsley, stir to blend all ingredients. Cover and simmer for 2-3 hours allowing the meat sauce to evaporate some of the water.
Boil the lasagna with a one tablespoon of oil for 15 minutes and drain. Use a 11×17 greased baking dish and start with a layer of noodles, then half of the cottage cheese, half of the mozarella, half of the meat sauce and half of the romano cheese. Repeat layers. Bake in 375º oven for 1 hour or until bubbly and brown on top. Serve with a salad and garlic toast.

Cover and simmer meat sauce for 2-3 hours

Start with a layer of lasagna noodles and half of the cottage cheese

Sprinkle half of the mozzarella over the cottage cheese

Use a ladle to spread half of the meat sauce evenly over the mozzarella layer

Finally, sprinkle half of the romano cheese on the meat sauce layer and repeat layers one more time

Bake in 375º F oven for 1 hour

Printable Recipe

Meatloaf:

• 2 lb ground beef
• 1/2 onion, finely minced
• 1 egg
• 1 C bread crumps
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp pepper
• 1 egg for eggwash

Potato Stuffing:

• 1 1/2 C mashed potatoes
• 1/2 C sauteed onions
• 1 tsp Lawry’s Seasoning salt
• 1/2 C shredded cheddar cheese
• 1/2 C frozen peas

Do this:
Add all ingredients for the meatloaf in a large bowl and work with hands until well mixed.
To warm mashed potatoes (or warmed leftover potatoes) add the stuffing ingredients and blend.
Shape the uncooked meat loaf in a large cake pan or casserole dish with your hands into a hollowed out “football stadium” shape. Fill with the potato mixture, bring up the sides of the meat and close the top seam and then the ends so the meat completely seals the stuffing – or leave open.
Bake 375º for 75 minutes or until browned and juices run clear.

Sauteed onions and seasoning salt

Peas and shredded cheese for stuffing

Hollow out meatloaf into a football stadium shape

Place potato stuffing in the meatloaf and seal

Brush meatloaf with beaten egg on top and sides

Bake meatloaf for 75 minutes at 375º

Fried apples with dark syrup and cinnamon

The meatloaf split while baking but was still mighty good!

Ingredients:
Serves 6

• 2 lb. Sirloin steak cut in thin strips
• Marinade
• 2 C water
• 1 zucchini cut in thins strips
• 2 carrots cut in thin strips
• 3 spring onions, sliced
• 1 can water chestnuts
• cooked rice (Jasmine)

Marinade:

• 3/8 C soy sauce
• 1 C water
• 1 T Teriyaki sauce
• 1 T vegetable oil
• 1 T Balsamic vinegar
• 2 T light brown sugar
• 1/2 tsp minced garlic (Spice World)
• 1 tsp crushed red pepper
• 1 T lime juice
• juice of 1/2 orange

Do this:
Place thin strips of sirloin in bowl with marinade and mix, cover and place in refrigerator overnight.
Cook meat and marinade in dutch oven on medium heat and reduce liquid to almost evaporated then add the water, onions, carrots and zucchini. Simmer for 20-25 minutes uncovered. Add sliced water chestnuts last few minutes. Serve with rice.
To make a nice presentation with the rice, fill a 1 cup custard cup or measuring cup with the cooked rice pressing it in gently and then flip it over onto plate.

Reduce the marinade to almost evaporated

Add the vegetables and simmer for 20-25 minutes

Fry chopped cabbage in 3 T margarine until partially wilted

Add the dark syrup and water to the cabbage

Water has evaporated and cabbage is now ready for the casserole dish

Combine ingredients with ground pork and ground beef

Add meat on first layer of cabbage

All 3 layers done and ready for the oven

Out of the oven!

Ingredients:
6 servings

Cabbage:

• 2 lb. whole cabbage
• 3 T margarine
• 2 T dark syrup
• 1/2 C water

Meat:

• 1/2 lb. ground pork
• 1/2 lb. ground beef
• 1/2 diced onion, saute in margarine
• 1/4 C cooked rice
• 1 egg
• 1/2 C milk
• salt/pepper

Do this:
Chop cabbage into 2″ pieces and fry in margarine until partially wilted. Add dark syrup, water and simmer until water is almost evaporated.
Combine ground meat, sauteed onions, rice, egg and milk. In greased 2 quart baking dish layer half of the cabbage, then all the meat for second layer and the rest of the cabbage for the top layer. Bake in preheated 375º oven for 45 minutes.
Serve with boiled potatoes and salad.