Almond Flour Muffins

Recently, Megan gave me a bag of almond flour that she was not going to use. Almond flour is great to use for gluten-free baking. This recipe is based on several muffin recipes that I adjusted to suit my needs. Although almond flour might not be a pantry staple, it might be worth keeping around to makes these muffins on occasion.

This recipe makes a dozen muffins. I really like the streusel topping, but if you prefer, you can leave it out or use a frosting instead. I think a chocolate frosting would be exceptionally delicious. Even if you do not need to be gluten-free, these muffins are so delicious that you will not miss the gluten.

Almond Flour Muffins

• 2 1/2 cups almond flour
• 2 tsp. baking powder
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 3 eggs
• 1/3 cup butter, melted
• 6 Tbsp. milk

Streusel topping

• 1/2 cup almond flour
• 1/2 cup sliced almonds
• 1 tsp. cinnamon
• 3 Tbsp. brown sugar
• 1/4 cup melted butter

Mix together all the ingredients for the muffins. Fill lined or greased muffin cups about 2/3 full. Mix together the streusel topping. Top each muffin with streusel topping. Bake at 350 for 20 minutes or until done. Allow to cool. Enjoy!

Steak San Marco

I do not remember this recipe from childhood, but it is a delicious dish. I do not know where the recipe came from, but I would not be surprised if it cam from the box of onion soup mix. The recipe is easy to make because all the ingredients are placed in a skillet at the same time, but does require 90 minutes to simmer.

This recipe makes a nice dinner for two. I made some pasta as an accompaniment; bread or mashed potatoes could also be good to soak up the sauce. When I made this recipe, I thought I had peeled tomatoes on hand, but I did not. I substituted a can of diced tomatoes, which worked out fine. All the other ingredients are standard pantry ingredients.

Steak San Marco 

• 2 pounds steak, cut into 1-inch cubes
• 1 envelope onion soup mix
• 1 can (1 pound) Italian peeled tomatoes
  
• 1 tsp. oregano
• ground pepper
• 1 tsp. garlic powder
• 2 Tbsp. olive oil
• 2 Tbsp. white wine vinegar

In a large skillet, arrange meat. Cover with onion soup mix and tomatoes. Sprinkle with oregano, garlic powder, pepper, oil, and vinegar. Simmer, covered, for 1 1/2 hours or until meat is tender. Enjoy!

Marshmallow Chocolate Cookies

Sometimes I find recipes in Mom's recipe box that I do not remember from childhood, but sound so good that I have to try the recipe. This recipe is such a recipe. I made these cookies for the family get-together for Mother's Day. The cookies were a hit. I think that these cookies taste like hot chocolate in a cookie form.

The marshmallows add a nice touch to this cookie. I used classic marshmallows but flavored marshmallows would also be delicious. To cut the marshmallows in half, I used kitchen shears but found that the marshmallows were sticky and difficult to handle. The end result was worth the struggle. When I made this recipe, I did not include nuts so people who do not like nuts might still enjoy the cookies. I also modified the recipe below to reflect that I used half a cup of powdered sugar instead of a third of a cup.

Marshmallow Chocolate Cookies

• 1/2 cup butter
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 1 1/2 cup flour
• 1/3 cup cocoa
• 1 tsp. soda
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 1 cup chopped walnuts, optional
• 30 large marshmallows, halved
• 3/4 cup chocolate chips
• 1/4 cup evaporated milk
• 1 tsp. butter
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 1/2 cup powdered sugar

Cream butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy. Add egg and vanilla. Beat thoroughly. Sift flour with cocoa, baking soda, and salt. Add flour mixture in thirds alternating with sour cream, beating until smooth after each addition. Stir in nuts. Drop from teaspoon onto greased cookie sheets. Bake at 350 for 10 minutes or until done. Place a half marshmallow cut side down on each cookie. Return to oven for about 30 seconds or until marshmallow is slightly melted on cookie. Cool. For the icing, melt chocolate chips, blend in remaining ingredients. Spread icing over marshmallows. Enjoy!

Bangers and Mash Pasties

On a trip to Las Vegas, MDS and I went to visit the Hoover Dam, an amazing feat of engineering that is worth the visit. Boulder City, Nevada, was established as a town to house all the workers on the construction of the Hoover Dam. We decided to check out the town and get lunch there. We found a local chain, called Cornish Pasty Company. Because we love pasties, we had to give it a try. Cornish Pasty Company's menu is filled with many traditional flavors as well as curious premium pasties. I had a Bangers and Mash Pasty that was amazing. 

When making this recipe, it can be a two-day meal. Make Bangers and Mash for one meal, then use the leftovers for the pasties. To make bangers and mash, start by cooking pork sausage in a skillet. To make the onion gravy, remove the cooked sausage, add sliced onion to the pan and cook until the onion begins to caramelize. Then, add a few spoonfuls of flour and cook until the flour is blended. Then, add about 2 cups of beef broth, half a cup at a time until blended. Serve the sausage with the onion gravy and mashed potatoes. The leftovers are great for making these pasties. I made 2 large pasties, but more and smaller pasties can be made instead.

Bangers and Mash Pasties (makes 2 large pasties) 

• 2-3 cooked pork sausages, cut into small pieces
• 1 cup onion gravy
• 1 cup mashed potatoes
• pie dough for 1 crust
• 1-2 Tbsp. melted butter.

Split the pie dough in half and roll out each half into about a 8-inch circle. Place sausage pieces, gravy, and mashed potatoes onto about one half of each dough circle. Fold the other half of dough over the ingredients and seal the edges by pinching the dough together. Place each pasty on a lined baking sheet. Brush each pasty with melted butter. Bake at 350 for about 30-35 minutes. Brush additional butter on the pasties toward the end of the cooking time. Allow to cool. Enjoy!

Lemon Puffs

This recipe might take some practice to get the puffs to actually puff up. My puffs should have been puffier. Nevertheless, they were deliciously lemony and custardy even without much puff. The way my recipe turned out, the puffs might be better called crustless lemon custard tarts.

Rather than using custard cups, I used a muffin pan. This recipe makes 12 puffs. I think the recipe would likely fill 12 custard cups. Or use a pie pan to make one large puff that can be cut into slices. I recommend using fresh lemon and grating the rind. It was so fragrant and flavorful. In a pinch, refrigerated lemon juice or lemon extract would work.

Lemon Puffs 

• 1 cup sugar
• 2 Tbsp. flour
• 1 Tbsp. butter
• 3 eggs, separated
• 1 cup hot milk
• rind of 1 lemon grated
• 3 egg whites beaten stiff

Mix the sugar, flour, and butter. Then add the beaten egg yolks. Add the hot milk and grated rind. Last add the beaten egg whites. Fill custard cups about 3/4 full. Place in oven at 375 for 30 minutes. Enjoy!

Salmon Quiche

This Easter, I tested out this new recipe. At a recent tea with Mom at Pinecone Cottage, these delicious individual salmon quiches were on the menu. I thought that they would make a great addition to the Easter buffet. I was right. These individual salmon quiches were a big hit with the family on Easter as there were only a few leftover.

This recipe makes 24 individual quiches, which is great for a party. Also, the mini quiches freeze well. When I made this recipe, I seasoned the quiches with dill, but other seasonings could be used. And, the recipe could easily swap out the salmon for other fillings. Also, I made the quiches ahead and just reheated them for the party, which made it easier on the day of the party.

Salmon Quiche 

• pie dough for 3 crusts
• 6 eggs
• 3/4 cup milk
• 3 Tbsp. butter, melted
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/2 tsp. pepper
• 1 1/2 pounds salmon, cooked
• dill or other seasoning

Make the pie dough. Roll out the dough and use a four-inch round cutter. Spray two standard 12-muffin tins with cooking spray. Press the cut dough into each muffin cup. Refrigerate muffin tins until ready to fill.

Bake the salmon. Once cooled, flake the salmon and half fill each muffin cup with flaked salmon. In a bowl, beat eggs with milk, melted butter, salt, pepper, and any seasonings. Pour egg mixture into each muffin cup, leaving 1/4 inch room at the top. Bake at 375 for 25 to 30 minute or until centers set and the edges are starting to brown. Cool in the pan for 15 minutes. Enjoy!

Tuna Green Pea Pie with Herbed Bread Topping

During lent when we were kids and weren't allowed to eat meat on Fridays, Mom often made various tuna casseroles. The classic Tuna Noodle Casserole was very popular, possibly because it was topped with potato chips. This Tuna Green Pea Pie recipe is another excellent casserole. While many casseroles just involve dumping all the ingredients into a pan and baking the casserole, this recipe does require some additional preparation before going into the oven. But it is worth it.

When I made this recipe, I used a bit more onion and bell pepper than the recipe called for, with good results. Rather than canned tuna, I used the no drain packets, so I substituted 4 packages that were each 2.5 ounces each. 

Tuna Green Pea Pie with Herbed Bread Topping 

• 1 medium onion, chopped (1/2 cup)
• 1/2 cup chopped green pepper
• 3 Tbsp. butter
• 3 Tbsp. flour
• 1/2 tsp. basil
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/8 tsp. pepper
• 1 1/2 cup tomato juice
• 1 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
• 2 cans (7 oz.) tuna, drained
• 1 package (10 oz.) frozen green peas
• 4 slices bread, cubed
• 1 tsp. parsley flakes
• 1/2 tsp. oregano

Saute onion and green pepper in butter until tender. Add flour, basil, salt, and pepper. Gradually stir in tomato juice and Worcestershire sauce, cook until slightly thickened. Cook slowly, uncovered for 10 minutes. Stir occasionally. Add tuna and green peas; mix well. Turn into dish. Top with bread cubes. Sprinkle with parsley and oregano. Bake at 350 for 25 minutes. Let stand for 10 minutes. Enjoy!