Root Beer Sloppy Joes

This will come as no surprise to anyone, but as a kid growing up in Wisconsin, I wasn't really what you'd refer to as "normal."  I didn't like hamburgers, I hated McDonald's, Cheetos kind of freaked me out.  I refused to drink my milk and thought sloppy joes were disgusting.

I still hate milk.  Not sure why, other than it tastes very literally like something that just came out of the stomach of a large animal.  I've come around to sloppy joes, though, largely because of this recipe, which came out of the Roanoke Times.  The keys here are:  a) the dried thyme, which gives the whole dish a nice layered taste; and b) the toasted whole grain buns.  And no, I'm not usually one for whole grain buns, either.  But what can I say?  I think this is one of those dishes where you look at the ingredients separately and shake your head--but when you put them all together?  The kids absolutely love it.  

Root Beer Sloppy Joes

1 lb. ground sirloin or high grade Angus chuck

1 medium onion finely chopped

2 cloves minced garlic

1 tsp. chili powder

1/2 tsp. dried thyme

1/2 tsp. dry mustard

1/4 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper

1 cup ketchup

1/2 cup root beer

4-6 whole-grain hamburger buns

1. Heat the oven to 400 degrees.  Slice the buns in half, lay them face down on the rack, and toast for 4-6 minutes, until just crispy on the insides. 
2. In a large-nonstick skillet, cook ground sirloin for 4 minutes on medium until the pink is nearly gone.  Drain. 
3. Add the onion and garlic and cook for another 4 minutes, stirring regularly. 
4. Add the chili powder, thyme, mustard, salt and pepper.  Stir.  
5. Stir in ketchup and root beer.  Reduce heat to medium-low and cook 10 minutes or until the sauce thickens. 
6. Serve on the toasted buns.  

Family Ratings

Will, who really is becoming more easy-going as an eater:  10

Lucy, who thinks the root beer makes dinner taste like dessert (even though it really doesn't): 10

Jamie, who's taken to eating twelve snacks between 4:00 and 6:00, and then saying he doesn't like my cooking:  7

Ellen, who kind of rebels against anything that seems even vaguely midwestern:  7

Paul, who's not getting any skinnier:  10

Lentil Apricot Casserole

A warning:  your kids are going to stare at this and say, "It looks like goat barf."

And another warning:  you're going to agree with them.

So okay:  this recipe doesn't win any awards for presentation.  It looks like hurl.  I can give no stronger recommendation for this dish, though, than the fact that Jamie--Jamie, by far my fussiest eater these days--took seconds of this dish on his own accord.  And then took thirds.

I'm not sure what makes it work.  Obviously, dried apricots are awesome.  And the bulgar wheat gives a nice texture to the dish.  I've never been a friend of lentils--they taste like dirt, if you ask me--but I like them in this dish.  This recipe is actually Ellen's discovery, coming from Michele Urvater's Monday to Friday Cookbook.  This is generally a great book, though a lot of the recipes require a pressure cooker.

Be sure to serve with low-fat yogurt or sour cream.

Lentil Apricot Casserole

1 tablespoon olive oil
1.5 teaspoons curry powder
1 cup bulgar wheat (also known as millet)
1 cup dried lentils
4 cups chicken broth (water will work if you're a vegetarian)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 cup dried apricots, cut in half
Plain low-fat yogurt or sour cream

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.  
2. Heat the oil in a 4-quart ovenproof pan over medium heat. 
3. Add the curry powder and the bulgar wheat/millet.  Saute about 1 minute.  
4. Add the lentils and the broth.  Bring to a low boil and season to taste with salt and pepper. 
5. Cover and bake until the grain and lentils are tender, about 25 minutes.  
6. Remove from oven (dur!), stir in the apricots, add a 1/2 cup more broth if the dish is starting to seem dry.   
7. Re-cover and bake for 10 more minutes.  
8. Adjust seasoning and serve with yogurt/sour cream.  

Family Ratings

Will, who's kind of proud of no longer being the fussiest eater in the family:  9.5

Lucy, who would probably eat this even if it included dirt instead of lentils:  10

Jamie, who's kind of proud of now being the fussiest eater in the family: 10

Ellen, who's been trying to get us to eat less meat for year:  10

Paul, who can actually tolerate the lentils when they're with dried fruit:  9

Thai Pepper Steak

Yes, I know this is the second Thai recipe I've posted in a row.  I'd had plans to post recipes for gooey chocolate cake and balsamic vinegar chicken (two different dishes, just in case you were worried).  But then I made this for the first time tonight, took one bite, and went, "Well heck!  THAT'S good!"

(Actually, that's not what I said.  I said, "Well %$#@!  THAT'S &^%$ amazing!" but since this is a family oriented blog--unlike my other blog--I thought I'd keep it clean.  Just this once.)

Anyhow, this also comes from Thailand:  The Beautiful Cookbook, which, despite its awkward name, is rapidly becoming one of my favorites.  I messed a bit here with proportions (using less white pepper than they recommended) and cooking order/time (I prefer my red peppers not cooked into a mush), but other than that, this is straight from the book.

Excuse me:  the @#&% book.

The recipe below is for four servings, but this recipe doubles nicely.  It probably halves nicely, too, for that matter.

Thai Pepper Steak

Marinade: 

1 teaspoon fish sauce

1 Tablespoon cornstarch

1/8 teaspoon white pepper 

The rest: 

1-2 cups rice (I use jasmine) cooked per instructions

1 lb. tender beef (I use flank steak or flat iron steak)

2 tablespoons oil

4 garlic cloves, minced

1/4 cup thinly sliced onion

1/4 cup thinly sliced red bell pepper

1/4 cup thinly sliced green bell pepper

3 Tablespoons fish sauce

1 Tablespoon Maggi Seasoning *

2 Tablespoons sugar

1 Tablespoon sesame oil

* You should be able to get Maggi Seasoning in the foreign foods section of your grocery store; it's in a little yellow and red jar with a yellow cap.  If you can't find it, one site I visited recommended just using bacon bits . . . 

1. Start your rice, according to directions.  
2. Mix the marinade ingredients.  It'll be pretty pasty.  Don't worry.  
3. Slice the beef across the grain very thinly--say, 1/8 of an inch or less.  (An 8-inch French chef knife is best for this.  Just be sure to hide your thumb behind your other fingers).  
4. Place beef in the marinade and mix.  Set aside for at least 10 minutes.  
5. Chop the garlic, slice the onions, etc.  
6. Mix the fish sauce, Maggi Seasoning, sugar, and sesame oil together in a small bowl.  
7. Heat your wok or a large frying pan until hot.  Coat with the oil.  
8. Toss in the garlic.  Cook for five seconds. 
9. Add beef.  Stir fry for 1-2 minutes until still just barely pink.  
10. Add the onions and stir-fry for 30 seconds. 
11. Add green and red peppers.  Stir-fry for 30 seconds.  
12. Add the fish sauce, etc.  Stir-fry for 2 minutes.  
13. Serve over rice!

Family Ratings

Lucy, who's recovering from the flu and was cautious:  10

Will, who's something of a beef eater, even if he doesn't have one of those weird hats:  10

Jamie, who insisted on eating the meat with none of the sauce:  7

Ellen, who appreciates that her husband cooks for her, even if she's not crazy about beef:  8

Paul.  Seriously?  You have to ask?:  10

Thai Chicken with Young Corn

Okay, so maybe this seems a little funny right before Christmas--I mean, Thai food?  Where's the frosting?  Where's the cooked fruit?

Or maybe it's exactly what you need:  light, fast, a little sweet, a little tang on the tongue.  

It comes, unadulterated, from Thailand:  The Beautiful Cookbook.  It's a small-ish recipe, but doubles well. 

Thai Chicken with Young Corn

Enough cooked rice for your family (I usually do 2 cups for the five of us)

3 Tablespoons oil

1 lb. boneless chicken breast, cut into bite-sized slices

3 garlic cloves, crushed

1 cup baby corn

1/2 cup sliced mushrooms (straw or otherwise)

2 Tablespoons oyster sauce

2 Tablespoons fish sauce

2 Tablespoons sugar

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground peppercorns

2 green onions, cut into 1-inch pieces (or smaller, if you have fussy buggers)

1. Cook rice according to instructions. 
2. Cut up your chicken and slice your mushrooms.
3. Rinse the baby corn.  This helps give it a fresher taste
4. In a small bowl, mix together oyster sauce, fish sauce, sugar, and peppercorns. 
5. Heat your wok or skillet to high heat.  Add oil. 
6. Stir-fry chicken and garlic for 2 minutes. 
7. Add everything else.  Stir-fry for two more minutes.  
8. Serve hot over rice.  

Family Ratings: 

Will, who really is starting to develop an appetite:  10

Lucy, who was fighting the flu:  7

Jamie, who is becoming a fussy butt:  8

Ellen, who's not crazy about mushrooms:  10

Paul, who still resents the fact that he wasn't able to go to Thailand because of the red-shirt revolution:  10

Baked Spaghetti That Doesn't Suck

I'm sorry, but when someone says "baked spaghetti," I think church luncheon and midwestern caterers.  I mean, if you're going to have spaghetti, why not do it right instead of dumping a jar of Chef Boyardee on overcooked noodles and cheddar cheese?

My sense that baked spaghetti was the realm of culinary hacks was confirmed when Lucy decided that that's what she wanted to make for dinner last week.  Because, I assumed, I didn't have a recipe on my shelf, I went straight to Epicurious.com.  Guess what?  No baked spaghetti!  Ha.  

So I went to allrecipes.com, which is another good site.  They have several versions of BS, all of which, at that crucial moment, explicitly said, "Now dump a jar of your favorite spaghetti sauce into the mix."  

A simple question:  if I wanted jarred spaghetti, why would I be on-line looking at recipes?  

Feeling smug, I hit my bookshelf--Bittman, Betty, even the NYT cookbook, which carries some pretty crazy stuff.  Nothing that looked good.  

At this point, I was pretty much ready to switch over to Chinese fried dumplings.  At the last second, though, I pulled down one of those old church cookbooks where all the women of the church--"Ladies," they used to be called--shared their favorite recipes in an attempt to raise money for a new organ or baptismal fount.  You know the kind of book I'm talking about, where the recipe for Chicken Dumpling Soup explains that if you want a really good stewing chicken "old hen is the best."  (I'm not making this up!)  This is the same book that contains Will's all-time favorite fajita recipe, and I figured if anyone would know how to make baked spaghetti that didn't suck, it would be some old Lutheran lady from western PA.  

Dang, was I right.  What follows goes waaaaaaay beyond "not sucking" into the realm of oh. my. god. It's just tasty.  The only change I made was to include some Italian sausage.  Otherwise, it's exactly as Dolores Kupsh created it all of those years to go.  

I love you Dolores.  Truly, I do.  

Baked Spaghetti That Doesn't Suck

1/2 lb ground beef

1 lb mild Italian sausage

1 cup chopped onion

1 clove garlic, minced

28 oz canned chopped tomatoes

4 oz. mushrooms, sliced

2 cups (8 oz.) shredded mozzarella (it's a pain, but I'd suggest grating this by hand, because the pre-grated is always dry)

1/3 cup grated Parmesan

15 oz. can tomato sauce

2 tsp. sugar

1.5 tsp. oregano

1 tsp. salt

1 tsp. basil

8-12 oz. uncooked spaghetti

1. Cook spaghetti al dente (basically, cook it according to directions, only taking it out of the water 2 minutes earlier than the lowest time listed)
2. In a dutch over, brown the sausage, beef, onion, and garlic, until there's just a touch of pink left in the meat. 
3. Drain the grease.  
4. Stir in the tomatoes, tomato sauce, mushrooms, sugar, oregano, salt, and basil.  Bring to a boil and boil gently for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. 
5. Preheat oven to 375. 
6. Drain the spaghetti and stir it into the sauce. 
7. Place half of the sauce mixture in a 13x9 pan.  Sprinkle with half of the mozzarella.  Top with the rest of the sauce mixture, then top with the remaining mozzarella and the parmesan.  
8. Bake, uncovered, for 30 minutes.  Serve with crusty bread and lime-jello salad with shredded carrots in it (just kidding!)

Family Ratings: 

Will, who would probably really like lime-jello salad:  10

Lucy, who loves sausage, and likes getting her way even more:  10

Jamie, who wants to show his enthusiasm, but isn't sure how:  42

Ellen, who's not all that crazy about ground meats:  8

Paul, who's going to track down Dolores and give her a big smooch:  10

Soft Molasses Cookies

When I was little, I used to refuse to eat store-bought cookies. No Chips A'Hoy, no Nutter Butters, nothing. If it wasn't fresh, I wasn't eating it. This cookie recipe is largely the reason for that: these cookies are so good that when my mother used to package half of them and put them in the freezer downstairs, I used to sneak down and steal two or three at a time. I'm sure she was a little disappointed--but not too confused--when she found the tupperware container two-thirds empty.

Anyhow, if you're thinking, "But I don't like those molasses cookies with the sugar on top," don't worry; these are nothing like that. They are much much much better, largely because they contain sour cream, the secret ingredient to most of the world's best baking. In fact, I can say pretty unequivocally that these are the best cookies in the world.

I would strongly encourage you to double the recipe. And don't bother putting half of them in the freezer . . .

Soft Molasses Cookies

1 cup butter (2 sticks), softened

1 cup sugar

1 egg

1/2 cup light molasses

1 tsp vinegar

1 cup cultured sour cream

3 cups flour

1/5 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp powdered ginger

2 tsp baking soda

1 tsp salt

1. Cream the butter. Gradually add the sugar.
2. Beat in the egg and the molasses.
3. Add the vinegar and the sour cream. Blend.
4. Blend in the flour, cinnamon, ginger, baking soda, and salt.
5. Chill for at least one hour.
6. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
7. Drop rounded teaspoonfuls onto greased cookie sheets.
8. Cook for about 9 minutes. Press lightly on the top to test. If the cookie bounces back, it's definitely ready--and maybe a bit done. If the cookie doesn't quite bounce back, it's perfect.
9. Cool and remove from pan.

Makes about 5 dozen cookies.

Family Ratings on a scale of 1-10.

Lucy: 10. Duh.

Jamie: 10. More. More. More.

Will: 15. I don't care about the mathematical improbabilities.

Ellen: 10. Damn it, Paul, you have to leave some for us!

Paul: 1,000.