Short Cut Potato Soup

Back when I was in junior high and high school, Megan and I would often make dinner during the week. At some point, we got a cookbook called Mr. Food Cooks like Mama to try out some new recipes. As I recall, we tried out a number of recipes, but this soup was one of my favorites. I may have to find a copy of the cook book to test other recipes.

Now, one reason that Mr. Food called this a "short cut" potato soup was because he used dried potato flakes to quickly thicken the soup. When Meg and I made this soup, we used potato flakes. I prefer to not use potato flakes, but rather, dice the potatoes into smaller pieces then use a blender or just a fork to mash them up at the end of cooking. Also, the original recipe calls for using some milk and some water, but I usually just use water when actually cooking the soup. But, I do sometimes use milk when reheating the soup, because it does tend to thicken too much when cooled. So the recipe below reflects the changes that I have made.

Short Cut Potato Soup 

• 1 1/2 cups diced onion
• 1/4 cup margarine or butter
• 4 cups diced (half inch cubes) potatoes 
• 1 carrot, coarsely grated
• 3 to 4 cups water
• 1/2 tsp. pepper
• 1 tsp. dried dillweed

In a soup pot, brown the onion in the butter. Add the potatoes, carrot, water, pepper and dillweed. The water should just cover the potatoes. Cook on low until the potatoes are creamy, about 45 minutes. Mash up the potatoes using a fork or by transferring portions of the soup to a blender. The final soup should be mostly creamy, but with some potato pieces. Enjoy!

Roast Beef

Roast Beef is a classic Sunday dinner. Mom frequently made roast beef in winter, but not often in summer. Because we did not have air conditioning, Mom often avoided using the oven too much in summer. Also, this is a very filling dinner, the kind of dinner that provides comfort on a cold day, but is too heavy for a hot day. Roast Beef was always a Sunday dinner because it took too long to make on a weeknight and Saturday dinner was always Spaghetti and Gravy.

There are several cuts of beef that you could use to make roast beef, some are fattier than others. Pick the cut that you prefer. Some folks suggest browning the meat before placing it in the oven, but I found that was not necessary. When I made this roast, I used a lower oven temperature, which results in a longer cooking time. You could use a higher temperature and a shorter cooking time, if preferred. Also, the seasoning could be varied based upon taste. I used basil for the beef and rosemary for the vegetables.

Roast Beef 

• 2 to 3 pound beef roast
• 3/4 cup water
• 1 Tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1 teaspoon beef bouillon granules
• 1 teaspoon dried basil
• 2-3 medium potatoes
• 3 carrots
• 2 small onions
• 3-4 stalks celery
• Olive oil
• salt, pepper, and other seasoning, if desired
• For gravy: water or cooking wine, flour

Preheat oven to 325. Trim fat from roast. Place on a roasting pan or broiling pan. Combine water, Worcestershire sauce, bouillon, and basil. Pour some over the beef and reserve about a quarter cup for later basting, if the beef is drying out too much. Bake in the oven for about 90 minutes.

Rinse and cut the vegetables into one-inch pieces. Toss with olive oil and desired seasoning. Add vegetables to roasting pan. Bake for another 45 to 60 minutes, until tender.

If desired, use the pan drippings to make a gravy. In a sauce pan, combine drippings and enough water to equal two cups. (If desired, substitute in 1/4 cup wine for 1/4 cup water). Stir in about 1/4 cup flour. Cook and stir until thickened and bubbly. Cook about two more minutes. Season to taste. Enjoy!

Irish Soda Bread

It seems that St. Patrick's day has expanded beyond just March 17 and consumed the month of March, but fear not; there are many good Irish recipes to enjoy. Of course, the classic St. Patrick's day recipe is Corned Beef and Cabbage. But, following a close second is Irish Soda Bread. When I found this version among Grandma's recipes, I had to give it a try because this recipe calls for more buttermilk than the standard recipes I have seen. While soda bread is most common around St. Patrick's day, it is so easy to make that it should be enjoyed year-round.

Traditional Irish Soda Bread, at least the version common in America, contains raisins. I often leave the raisins out because someone I know is not a fan of raisins. But, when I made this recipe, I included the golden raisins, and there were no complaints. I understand that in Ireland, soda bread is sometimes called brown soda bread because it is often made with whole wheat flour. Usually, the soda bread is shaped into a round loaf and baked on a cookie sheet or round pan. Then, a cross should be cut into the top of the bread before baking to allow the thicker part of the bread to cook evenly.

Grandma's Irish Soda Bread

• 3 cups flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/3 cup white sugar
• 1/4 cup butter
• 3/4 cup golden raisins
• 1 egg
• 2 cups (about) buttermilk

Preheat oven to 350. In a large bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, salt, soda and sugar. Cut butter into the flour mixture. Rinse and drain the raisins, then sprinkle with flour and add into the flour and butter mixture. Slightly beat egg and add enough buttermilk to equal one cup and add to mixture. Then add one more cup of buttermilk. The dough will be sticky, so it may be necessary to flour your hands before handling the dough. Combine well and form into a ball on a cookie sheet or a greased and floured pan. Let the bread rise for half an hour. Bake for 45 minutes. Allow to cool before cutting. Enjoy!

Applesauce Muffins

When I came across this recipe, I knew I would really like it. I don't specifically remember Mom making it when I was a kid, but I didn't really like cinnamon when I was young, so I might not have liked these muffins. Now that my tastes have matured, I have come to love cinnamon. These muffins have just the right amount of cinnamon to complement the sweet apple taste.

These muffins are very easy to make and can be whipped up quickly without much effort. It is likely that the ingredients are ones that you have in the kitchen. Mom's recipe calls for raisins and nuts, but I left them out. Also, Mom's recipe calls for a teaspoon of salt, but I left it out, too. I used a little more cinnamon than the recipe calls for and found the end result delicious. 

Applesauce Muffins 

• 2 cups flour
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup applesauce
• 1/2 cup oil
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• optional: 1 cup raisins and/or nuts
• Topping: 1 tablespoon sugar and 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

Combine all the ingredients (except topping) and blend well. Grease or line muffin pan with paper cups. Fill the muffin cups 2/3 full of batter. Combine the topping ingredients. Sprinkle over the batter. Bake at 400 for 15 to 20 minutes. Enjoy!

French Onion Bread

Mom often made bread, especially on weekends in the winter. While Mom is best known for her French Bread, she did make other breads. I came across this French Onion Bread in Mom's recipe box, which is essentially her French Bread with a packet of dry onion soup mix added into the dough.

While I do not specifically remember Mom making this bread, I am glad I found it. This bread is delicious. Of course, it is best fresh out of the oven. But the bread is good leftover and even better when toasted. The onion soup mix adds a richness to this bread that makes it taste as if it is much more difficult to make. This recipe is perfect for a cold weekend day.

French Onion Bread 

• 2 packages yeast
• 2 cups water, divided
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 3 tablespoons sugar
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1 package dry onion soup mix
• 6 cups flour

Heat 1/2 cup water to 120 degrees. Dissolve the yeast in the water to soften the yeast until it foams, about 10 minutes. Meanwhile, melt the butter in 1 1/2 cup hot water, then stir in the sugar, salt and onion soup mix and allow to cool until lukewarm. In a large bowl, mix together the liquids. Gradually add the flour to form a stiff dough. Knead on a floured surface until smooth and elastic, about 5 to 10 minutes. Place the dough in a greased bowl and allow to rise until doubled, about 2 hours.

Punch down the dough and let rise again for half an hour. Shape the dough into 2 loaves and place into 2 greased loaf pans. Let rise for about one hour. Bake at 375 for 35 to 40 minutes. Enjoy!

Hello Dolly Cake

Hello Dolly Cake (aka Magic Cookie Bars or Seven Layer Bars) is a seriously delicious dessert. This recipe is not so much a cake as it is a cookie bar. It is super easy to make and even easier to eat. Now, the recipe traditionally calls for a cup of coconut, but I left it out. I used almonds, but any other nuts could be used. Also, some folks add in butterscotch chips.

"Hello, Dolly!" is one of Mom's favorite musicals. When I saw this recipe in her box, I only vaguely remembered enjoying these delicious cookie bars. But I have great memories of watching the Barbra Streisand "Hello Dolly" movie and Mom singing the songs. Which brings me to the name of this recipe. Apparently, it was published by Eagle brand sweetened condensed milk and made an appearance in a newspaper around the time that the musical first appeared on Broadway in 1965. Somehow, the Hello Dolly name got attached to this recipe. I am glad that it did because it caught my eye and now, I can share it with you.

Hello Dolly Cake 

• 1/4 pound butter
• 1 1/2 cup graham cracker crumbs
• 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 1 cup chopped nuts
• 1 can (15 oz.) sweetened condensed milk

Melt the butter in a 9x9 pan. Sprinkle in the crumbs, then the chocolate chips and nuts. Pour the sweetened condensed milk over all. Bake at 350 for 25 minutes. Allow to thoroughly cool before cutting. Enjoy!

Grilled Polenta

Like creamy polenta, grilled polenta can be served with sweet or savory toppings. Sweet toppings could include maple syrup, whipped cream or sweet cheeses. Savory toppings could be anything from sauteed vegetables to meat sauces. I especially liked the poletna topped with mascarpone cheese and honey. For a savory topping taste test, I sauteed some finely chopped onions with some pesto, pancetta and tomato. The pancetta topping was delicious.

In preparing this post, I tried making grilled polenta two ways. First, I used leftover creamy polenta that had cooled and formed into the shape of a bowl, that I then sliced and grilled. Also, I used store bought polenta, that just had to be sliced and grilled. I had trouble with my leftover polenta not keeping its shape as it was grilled, so I suspect that I should have cooked it for a few more minutes to cook out a little more water. For this post, I used the pan-searing method, but an actual grill could be used. The outside of the grilled polenta will be crispy, while the inside will remain creamy.

Grilled Polenta 

• Cooled leftover Creamy Polenta
• 1 tablespoon butter or olive oil

Add the olive oil or butter to a skillet pan and put over medium heat. Slice the polenta into quarter or half inch thick slices. Place the polenta on the heated skillet and cook each side until done, about 5 to 10 minutes per side. Top the grilled polenta with you favorite topping. Enjoy!