the food i cook

8 ounces (uncooked) egg noodles, cooked
1 can condensed cream of mushroom soup
1/2 cup milk
1 cup frozen peas
2 - 6 ounce cans of tuna
2 tablespoons butter, melted
1/2 cup bread crumbs

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Heat oven to 400ºF.

Mix together soup, milk, peas and tuna in a 2 quart casserole dish.

Add cooked noodles.

Bake for 20 minutes, uncovered.

Mix butter and bread crumbs.

After 20 minutes, stir, sprinkle with bread crumb/butter mixture and return to the oven for 5 minutes.

Serves 4.

1 pound ground beef
1/2 cup plain bread crumbs
1 egg, beaten
1 tablespoon dried minced onions
1 tablespoon worstershire sauce
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1/4 warm water
2 cups beef broth (better than boullion)
1/4 teaspoon Kitchen Bouquet
1/2 teaspoon season salt
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Heat electric skillet to 325ºF.

Combine, meat, egg bread crumbs, onions and worstershire sauce and form into 4 oblong patties, 1/2 inch thick.
Melt butter in skillet and cook the patties for 5 minutes on each side, uncovered.
Whisk cornstarch and water and set aside.
Remove patties from skillet and add broth, Kitchen Bouquet and seasoning salt to skillet and bring to a boil.
Whisk in the cornstarch and water mixture, stirring until thickened.
Add patties back to skillet and simmer, covered for 5 minutes.
Check gravy for seasoning adding salt if necessary.
Serve with mashed potatoes.

Serves 4.

2 pounds Ground Beef
2 Eggs, Beaten
3/4 Cup Milk
1/2 Cup Bread Crumbs
1/4 Cup Onion, Finely Chopped
2 tablespoons Parsley
1 teaspoon Salt
1/2 teaspoon Sage
1/8 teaspoon Pepper
1/2 Cup Ketchup
4 tablespoons Brown Sugar
2 teaspoon Dry Mustard
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Preheat oven to 350ºF
In a bowl, combine eggs and milk.
Stir in bread crumbs, onion, parsley, salt, sage and pepper.
Add ground beef; mix well.
Pat meat mixture into an 8×4x2 loaf pan.
Bake meat loaf, uncovered, for 60 to 75 minutes or until internal temperature reaches 160ºF.
Spoon off excess fat.
Combine ketchup, brown sugar and dry mustard; spread over meat loaf.
Return to oven; bake for 10 minutes more.
Remove from pan; wrap and chill meat loaf before slicing for sandwiches.

Serves 8.

2 packages Crescent Rolls
2 packages Cream Cheese
3/4 Cup Sugar
2 teaspoons Lemon Juice
1 teaspoon Vanilla
1 Egg, Separated
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Preheat oven to 350ºF.
Grease 9×13 pan.
Press out one package of crescent rolls to fit pan closing seams with fingers.
Cream everything except egg white.
Spread the cream cheese filling on crescent roll bottom layer.
Spread other crescent roll on waxed paper to fit 9×13 pan.
Peel off and put on top of cheese filling.
Froth egg white, brush on.
Bake for 30 minutes or until golden brown.
Sprinkle with powdered sugar.
Cut into 24 pieces.

6 oz. Orange Juice Concentrate
1 Cup Milk
1 Cup Water
1/2 Cup Sugar
1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
8 Ice Cubes
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Combine all ingredients except ice cubes in blender. Blend for 1 to 2 minutes, adding ice cubes one at a time.

Serves 2.

2-1/2 tablespoon Mole-Spice Mixture (see below)
1 tablespoon plus 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon sugar
3-1/2 pound pork shoulder, trimmed of excess fat
1 head of garlic, broken into cloves but not peeled
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In a small bowl, combine the mole seasoning, salt, and sugar.

Rub the pork shoulder with the seasonings and marinate for up to 24 hours refrigerated.

Preheat the oven to 275 º F.

Place the pork along with scattered garlic cloves in a foil package sealed securely so that the juices wil not escape while cooking. P

lace the package in an ovenproof skillet or casserole.

Roast the pork 3-3/4 to 4 hours until tender and falling apart.

Transfer the roast to a platter and cover with foil.

Pour off the juices and place in the freezer for 10 minutes. Spoon off the fat from the juices.

Pull the meat apart using two forks. Pour some of the juices over the pork to be served and pass the rest.

Leftovers can be reheated in any juices that are left.

Mole-Spice Mixture

3 tablespoons ancho chile powder
1 tablespoon dark brown sugar
1-1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1-1/2 teaspoons cocoa powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon dried oregano

In a small bowl, combine the above ingredients to make the mole-spice mixture.

Serves 8

Adapted from The Improvisational Cook by Sally Schneider (William Morrow, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers, 2006). Copyright 2006 by Sally Schneider.