Banana Chimichangas

We were wanting something sweet for dessert tonight so we decided to make Banana Chimichangas.  

 

Ingredients

2 Bananas

4 small tortillas

Ice cream

Strawberry sauce

Icing sugar

Oil for frying

Directions

1. Cut the bananas in half, so you have four pieces.  Wrap each half in a tortilla and fold the ends in.  Use tooth picks to hold them together.

2.  Heat oil in deep fryer and place wrapped up bananas inside.  Fry until tortilla is nice and golden.

3.  Place in bowl with ice cream and strawberry sauce.  Sprinkle with powdered sugar.

Cheesy Chicken Primavera Dinner

This recipe is a variation of a recipe I got from the inside of a Velvetta box.  

Ingredients

2 cups pasta shells, uncooked

2 cups small fresh broccoli florets

2 chicken breasts, cubed

1 cup bell peppers, chopped

1/2 onion, chopped

1 tsp garlic, minced

1 1/2 tsp Itanian seasoning

1/3 cup milk

225 g Velvetta cheese product, cut into 1/2 inch cubes (half a package)

Directions

1.  Cook pasta in large saucepan as directed on package, adding broccoli to the boiling water the last two minutes.  Drain.

2. Meanwhile, cook the cubed chicken in soup pot on high until cooked through.  Add the pepper, onion and garlic.  Cook for 2 to 3 minutes.  Add Italian seasoning.   Simmer on low.

3. Add pasta and broccoli to the chicken mixture.

4. Use the large pot that you cooked the pasta in and heat the milk on medium heat.  Add velvetta and stir until melted.  Once melted add to chicken/pasta mixture and stir until combined.

  Serve as is, or you could also top it with Parmesan cheese or red chili flakes.

Spaghetti Meat Bake

The original recipe comes from a recipe book that my mom's women's church group printed years ago.  I have made a couple changes to increase the flavour.

Ingredients

1 lb. ground beef

1/2 cup onion, chopped

1 clove garlic, minced

1 Tbsp Italiano spice

1 jar pasta sauce

1 - 200 g pkg. spaghetti

2 Tbsp butter or margarine

2 Tbsp flour

2 cups milk

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

4 Tbsp grated Parmesan cheese

Directions

1. Brown ground beef and onion.  Add garlic and Italiano spice.  Cook until meat is no longer pink.  

2. Add pasta sauce to beef and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat and simmer for 8 to 10 minutes.

3. Meanwhile, break spaghetti into thirds and cook according to package.  Drain well.   Add spaghetti to ground beef and mix well.

4. In the pot where you cooked the spaghetti, melt butter.  Blend in flour.  Gradually stir in milk.  Cook over medium heat until mixture just comes to a boil and thickens.  Remove from heat.  Add half the cheddar and Parmesan cheeses and stir until melted.

5. Spread half of ground beef/spaghetti mixture on bottom of 9x13 pan.  Next add half the cheese sauce.  Repeat layers.  Sprinkle with remaining cheddar and Parmesan cheeses on top.  Bake in a pre-heated 325 degree Farenheit oven for 20 minutes or until hot and bubbly.

Cabbage Roll Casserole

This is a recipe I found on pintrest a while back and I have adapted it to give it more flavour.

Ingredients

1 pound ground beef

1 cup chopped onion

1 clove garlic, minced

1 jar pasta sauce ( I used catelli garden select)

1 small cabbage, chopped

1 cup uncooked rice

1 tsp salt

1 tsp oregano

1 tsp basil

2 cups approx. of beef broth (I used Campbell's Stock first which is 480 ml)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

2. In skillet, brown ground beef, onion and garlic until redness in beef is gone.

3. In a large bowl mix pasta sauce, cabbage, rice, salt, oregano, basil and meat mixture together.  Put everything into a 9x13 inch pan and pour broth over top. Bake in preheated oven, covered for 1 hour.  Stir, and replace cover and bake for another thirty minutes.

Slow cooker BBQ ribs

This is the first time I have used the slow cooker for this particular recipe, but it has  turned out well.  

Ingredients

2 racks pork back ribs, cut in half

2 or 3 Tbsp vegetable oil

Salt to taste

Pepper to taste

2 cloves garlic, minced

A couple drops liquid smoke, optional

4 cups BBQ sauce (one large bottle - I used Cattle Boyz)

4 cups water

1 cup white vinegar

BBQ sauce for topping at end

Directions

Heat the oven to 450 degrees F.  Rub vegetable oil on ribs, season with salt and pepper.  Put on cookie sheet and cook in oven for 45 minutes, turning at halftime.  Once done put ribs in slow cooker.  Add BBQ sauce, water, garlic and liquid smoke.  Cook on low for eight to 10 hours or high for six.  I was home so I did a combination of high and low.  Check to see if the bones can be wiggled out.  When they are ready, place the ribs on a cookie sheet and baste with additional BBQ sauce.  Bake them in the oven for a couple minutes, then enjoy!  Another option if it is warm (which it definetly is not right now) you can BBQ the ribs as well.  

New Year's Cookies

New Year's cookies are a favorite of mine, though they aren't what you would call healthy.  They are a traditional Mennonite dish served with farmer sausage.  

Ingredients

2 packages dry yeast

2 cups warm water

8 tsp. sugar

6 cups flour, divided

1 3/4 cup milk (scalded and cooled)

2 tbsp vinegar

2 tsp salt

5 eggs

1 lb. raisins

2 tsp baking powder

Directions

Soften yeast in 2 cups water and 8 tsp. sugar.  Let stand 15 minutes.  Then mix in 2 cups flour to make a sponge.  Now let this rise in a warm place.  When light, add all other ingredients and the remaining 4 cups flour, or enough to make stiff batter.  Let rise until doubled and fry in deep fryer.

Dip into regular or icing sugar and eat.

Roll Kuchen

Roll Kucken is a summer favorite of mine.  It goes perfectly with a slice of watermelon or cabbage borscht.

1 cup heavy cream or sour cream
2 eggs
2 cups flour
]1/2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt

Sift flour, salt and baking powder into mixing bowl.  Make a well and add other ingredients.  Mix well and add a bit more flour if dough is too soft to handle.  Roll out on floured board, cut in strips (2x4 inches).  Cut 2 slits in each strip, fry in deep hot oil. Turn when one side is done, then brown the other side.