Beef-Spinach Casserole

Recently, on a cold and rainy day, I decided to stay in and cook. On such a day, this delicious casserole made the day.  This recipe is another great find from Mom's recipe box. It is a filling dish that smells so nice as it bakes and tastes even better. There are three layers: the meat layer, the spinach and ricotta layer and the cheese layer. The next time I make this recipe, I might try to increase the spinach and ricotta to make that layer thicker.

Despite the seemingly long ingredient list, this casserole is easy to make. In this recipe, I especially liked the nutmeg. It added a great flavor when mixed into the ricotta and spinach. The use of bread crumbs and tomato sauce in the meat layer reminds me of Mom's Meat Loaf. But the extra layers made this recipe unique. I did not use the mushrooms in this recipe, and you could easily leave out or modify an ingredient to customize this recipe. So give this recipe a try.

Beef-Spinach Casserole 

• 1 package frozen chopped spinach
• 1 pound ground beef
• 1 onion, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1 can (8) ounce tomato sauce
• 1 can (4 ounce) sliced mushrooms, drained
• 1 Tbsp. parsley flakes
• 1 tsp. basil
• 1/2 cup bread crumbs
• 1 cup ricotta
• 2 Tbsp. Parmesan
• 2 eggs
• 1/4 tsp. nutmeg
• salt and pepper, to taste
• 4 ounces mozzarella 

Cook spinach, drain and squeeze out extra water. Set aside. Cook the beef, onion and garlic until browned. Lower heat. Stir in tomato sauce. Cook for three minutes until heated through. Add bread crumbs and toss to mix well. Spread evenly in a two-quart baking dish. Beat egg, spinach, ricotta, parmesan, salt, pepper and nutmeg. Spread over the meat. Top with mozzarella. Bake at 450 for 9 to 15 minutes, until cheese melts and starts to brown. Allow to cool. Enjoy!

Caraway Rye Bread

Rye bread is a great with Corned Beef and Cabbage for St. Patrick's Day. Usually, I just buy rye bread. This year, I decided to try Mom's recipe for rye bread. Despite the name of this recipe, Mom does not like caraway seeds, so she left them out. But I included them when I made this recipe. The bread was terrific.

You will need to find rye flour. I happened to find dark rye flour at a grocery store. There are other types of rye flour, such as light rye flour or pumpernickel flour. A lighter rye flour results in a lighter bread. I used dark rye, and along with the molasses, my bread was rather dark (but not as dark as pumpernickel bread). You could also adjust the amounts of all-purpose flour and rye flour to change the resulting bread. This recipe calls for molasses instead of honey or sugar to fuel the yeast. The molasses gave the bread a delicious taste. But, if you don't like molasses, just use another sugar.

Caraway Rye Bread 

• 2 cups warm water (about 115 degrees)
• 2 packages dry years
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1/4 cup dark molasses
• 2 Tbsp. butter, softened
• 2 Tbsp. caraway seed, plus some for topping
• 3 cups rye flour
• 3 cups flour
• cornmeal
• 1 egg, beaten

Sprinkle yeast over water in a large bowl, stirring until dissolved. Add salt, molasses, butter, caraway seed, rye flour and half of the all-purpose flour. Beat with wooden spoon until smooth. Gradually add the rest of the flour. Turn dough out onto lightly floured board. Knead until smooth--about 10 minutes. Place in a lightly greased large bowl and turn to coat dough. Cover with a towel and let rise in a warm place until dough has doubled in size, about an hour. Punch dough down and turn out onto a lightly floured board. Divide the dough in half. Shape each half into an oval loaf. Grease a baking sheet and sprinkle with cornmeal. Place loaves on sheet, leaving them at least three inches apart. Using a sharp knife, make five slashes across the top of each loaf. Let rise for an hour. Preheat oven to 375. Bake the bread for 35 to 40 minutes. Brush the top with the beaten egg and sprinkle caraway seed on top. Allow to cool. Enjoy!

Chicken Casserole

This casserole recipe is not as famous as Tuna Noodle Casserole, but both are quite similar due to the use of chopped hard-boiled eggs and potato chips. Like many American casserole recipes, these recipes use a can of condensed cream soup. While these casseroles are quite filling, they might not be the most healthy recipes. But I like to think that the inclusion of celery in this Chicken Casserole makes this one slightly healthier.

This casserole gets refrigerated overnight, which makes this a great dish for a busy weekday meal. I used cream of celery soup instead of cream of chicken soup, but either would work fine. I used the entire can of soup, so I reduced the amount of mayonnaise. The quantities below are from Mom's recipe. I also liked the use of sliced almonds in the topping. Perhaps the use of almonds was why Mom did not make this recipe often because us kids likely complained. Like so many casseroles, this one is delicious leftover.

Chicken Casserole 

• 4 cups cooked chicken, chopped 
• 2 cups celery, chopped
• 4 hard-boiled eggs, chopped
• 2 Tbsp. lemon juice
• 3/4 cup mayonnaise
• 1 tsp. minced onion
• 3/4 cup cream of chicken soup
• 2/3 cup sliced or chopped almonds
• 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 1/2 cups crushed potato chips

Combine the chicken, celery, eggs, lemon juice, mayonnaise, onion and soup. Place into a 1.5 quart casserole dish. Mix the almonds, Parmesan cheese and chips together. Pour over the top of the casserole. Refrigerate overnight. Bake at 400 degrees for 20 to 25 minutes. Enjoy!

Simple Cream of Tomato Soup

When I found this recipe in Mom's recipe box, I remembered that we frequently had tomato soup and grilled cheese sandwiches when I was young. While I recall that Mom usually used canned soup, as the recipe title indicates, this soup is very simple. And this soup can easily be customized to meet your preferred tastes. Just don't forget the grilled cheese.

When I made this soup, I adjusted Mom's recipe just a bit. I did not pass the tomato base through a sieve because I wanted some bits of tomato and onion in the final soup. For that reason, rather than using onion slices, I finely chopped the onion. I also used just a little bit less milk than the recipe calls for, but you could easily use more or less milk based on how creamy you like your soup. For this recipe, I followed the basic recipe, but next time I make this soup, I might add a seasoning such as basil or oregano and garlic.

Simple Cream of Tomato Soup 

• One-half small onion, finely chopped
• 1/2 tsp. sugar
• Dash pepper
• 1 can diced tomatoes
• 2 Tbsp. butter
• 2 Tbsp. flour
• 2 cups milk

Add onions, sugar, pepper and tomatoes to a large sauce pan. Heat and simmer for 10 minutes. If you prefer not to have chunks, blend the tomato mixture or pass through a sieve. In another sauce pan, melt the butter, then blend in the flour. Gradually add milk and cook, stirring constantly, until thickened and smooth. Slowly stir the milk mixture into the tomato mixture. Season if desired, and heat to simmering. Enjoy!

Maple Cinnamon Cookies

I love maple syrup. So, when I found this recipe in Mom's recipe box, I knew I had to try it. The cookies are very delicious. They remind MDS of his Grandma's snickerdoodle cookies, which is probably a result of the cinnamon. The cookies are soft and chewy. As a result of the maple syrup, the cookies are slightly sticky, so use wax paper between layers to keep them from sticking together.

This recipe is simple. The dough is made in advance, formed into a log and refrigerated. When you are ready to make the cookies, just slice the dough and brush with maple syrup. I had some extra syrup, so I brushed it on after the cookies came out of the oven to give them some extra maple flavor.

Maple Cinnamon Cookies 

• 1/2 cup butter
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 egg
• 2 1/2 cup flour
• 1 tdp. cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/2 tsp. baking soda
• Maple Syrup

Cream the butter with the sugars until light and fluffy. Add the egg and beat thoroughly. Add in the flour, cinnamon, salt and soda. Mix well. Shape the dough into a roll about 2 1/2 inches in diameter. Wrap in wax paper and chill until firm. When ready to bake, slice about 1/4 inch thick. Place on ungreased cookie sheet.Bruch with maple syrup. Bake at 400 for 10 minutes or until delicately browned. Cool on wired rack. Enjoy!

Drunken Cherry Cake

MDS and I first tried this delicious cake at Shokolad in the Ukrainian Village in Chicago. We had so much good food there, that I have already posted one recipe, Buckwheat, and may post another in the future. Living in Chicago, we are lucky to have excellent cuisine from all over the world. MDS said that my version of this cake is better than what we had at Shokolad, but I think he is just preserving his role as official taste-tester of this blog.

The cake is bit like a Black Forrest Cake, but rather than using layers, after baking the cake the inside is scooped out to mix with the sweet cream and Kahlua-soaked cherries, which is then filled into the cake. The chocolate cake batter uses many eggs resulting in a dense cake that can hold in all the cream, cherries and cake filling. I really like the cherry and chocolate combination, but another fruit could be used, such as blueberry or apricot. Despite the number of steps needed to make this cake, the end result is work it.

Drunken Cherry Cake 

Cake
10 eggs
1 3/4 cups sugar
2 tablespoons cocoa
1 teaspoon baking soda mixed with 1 tablespoon vinegar
1 3/4 cups sifted flour

Cream
1 can sweetened condensed milk
1/2 cup butter softened at room temperature
1 cup whipping cream
1/3 cup powdered sugar
3 oz dark chocolate, shredded
1 cup Kahlua
1 cup cherries (fresh, frozen or dried)

The day before you plan to make the cake, soak the cherries in the Kalua overnight.

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Beat eggs and sugar until light and fluffy with a mixer on high speed. Add baking soda with vinegar and cocoa. Continue to mix on medium speed. Add flour and carefully mix on low speed. Pour batter into a buttered 9 inch x 3 1/4inch springform pan. Bake for about 55 minutes, or until done. Cool the cake completely before assembling.

Cream: Beat butter on medium for  a few minutes, adding the sweetened condensed milk slowly. In a separate bowl, beat the whipping cream with powdered sugar. Reserve about one cup of the whipped cream to top the cake. Combine remaining whipped cream with the butter cream.

Assembling: Take out the inside of the cake and put it in a mixing bowl. Spread some cream blend on inside of the cake. Add the rest of the cream to the cake in the bowl. Add the cherries to the bowl with cake, and mix everything together until the cream, cherry and cake is well combined and no dry pieces of cake is seen. Fill the inside of a cake with cake, cherry and cream mixture. Spread the reserved whipped cream on the cake. Top with with shredded chocolate. Refrigerate for 2 hours. Enjoy!

Bee Sting Cake

I first discovered Bee Sting Cake at Chicago's Christkindlmarket, which takes over Daley Plaza every December with a German market. Known as Bienenstich, this cake is delicious and unique. The name derives from the honey topping that is placed on the cake just before baking, making a crunchy and sweet top to the cake. When December is over, it can be very difficult to find, so I decided to try to make it on my own.

The directions for this cake may appear to be too complicated, but push through and try it because the result is so good. The cake batter uses yeast, but that should not intimidate you. Just follow the directions and you can't go wrong with the batter. Also, making the pastry cream is worth it, even though it is a delicate process. I struggled to get the honey almond topping. Although I spread the almonds evenly before baking, some of the almonds sunk into the cake, leaving a somewhat uneven distribution in the resulting cake. I mixed the almonds in with the honey, but next time, I will brush the honey mixture on first, then sprinkle on a layer of almonds on top of the honey. Being a layer cake, this cake might not travel well, but putting the springform siding back on the cake might help make it portable.

Bee Sting Cake 

Cake

• 2 1/4 tsp. yeast
• 3/4 cup milk, at room temperature
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 3/4 tsp. salt
• 2 eggs
• 4 Tbsp. butter, at room temperature

Honey Almond Topping

• 6 Tbsp. butter
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 3 Tbsp. honey
• 2 Tbsp. heavy cream
• 1 1/2 cups sliced almonds

Pastry Cream Filling

• 1 cup milk
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 3 egg yolks
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 3 Tbsp. flour
• 2 Tbsp. butter

Cake: Combine all the cake ingredients in a mixing bowl, stirring for about five minutes. Cover and let rise in a warm place for one hour. Butter a 9-inch springform pan. Stir the batter a few times, then spread into the bottom of the pan to fill the bottom. Cover and set aside to rise for half an hour.

Topping: In a small saucepan, heat the butter, sugar, honey and cream until the butter is melted. Let the mixture stay just at a boil, stirring continuously for about five minutes. Set aside to cool.

Preheat the oven to 350. Once the cake has finished the second rise, brush the top with the honey mixture, then spread the sliced almonds as evenly as possible on top. Bake the cake for 20 to 25 minutes or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean. Allow to cool for about ten minutes, then run a knife around the outside edge to make sure the cake is not sticking. Allow the cake to thoroughly cool before assembling the cake.

Pastry Cream: Warm the milk and vanilla. In a sauce pan, whisk the egg yolks and sugar for about a minute. Whisk in the flour. Slowly add the warm milk and vanilla to the eggs, whisking continuously. Place the saucepan on the stove over medium heat until it begins to bubble, then lower the heat and simmer for three minutes, whisking continuously. Remove from the heat and whisk in the butter. Allow to cool completely.

Assemble the cake by removing the side of the springform pan. Use a serrated knife to divide the cake horizontally in half. Spread the pastry cream on the bottom half. Place the top half on the pastry cream. Enjoy!