Author: Aubrey Wilford

Scrambled Egg Cups

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I love eggs. Unfortunately I am the only person in my family who does. But I found this great recipe and couldn’t resist making them. Then I made them again and again and… you get the picture.

The original recipe called for 6 slices of bacon cooked and crumbled but I try to go meatless at breakfast so I’ve substituted either diced peppers and onions or diced mushrooms and onions. Delicious either way, although I can see how bacon or sausage would be awesome.

Scrambled Egg Cups
12 eggs
3 Tbsp milk
1/2 to 1 cup diced veggies or meat
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese + additional for topping
Salt and pepper to taste

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray a 12-count muffin tin with cooking spray. (Be sure to spray it on thick; those eggs like to stick.)
2. Whisk together the eggs and milk.
3. Stir in the cheese and veggies.
4. Pour into the greased muffin tin. (I used a soup ladle.)
5. Sprinkle additional cheese on top of each egg cup.
6. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes.

Since I’m the only one eating them I tried to freeze them. Unsuccessful. Don’t even try it. Just trust me. However, they do keep well in the refrigerator, so I make a batch on Saturday or Sunday morning and have a couple every day for the week.

Source: Semi Homemade Mom

Roasted Asparagus with Olives

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This is a quick and easy side dish and perfect for spring when asparagus is in season (and on sale!).

1 1/2 pounds asparagus, trimmed
1/2 cup kalamata olives, pitted
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon lemon pepper seasoning

1. Preheat oven to 425°F. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil.
2. Place asparagus and olives on prepared baking sheet. Drizzles with olive oil and sprinkle the lemon pepper. Toss to coat.
3. Roast in preheated oven for 10 to 12 minutes (depending on thickness of the asparagus).

Source: Sandra Lee Semi-Homemade 20-minute meals

Easy Baked Parmesan Tilapia

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If you’re looking for a way to get your family to eat more fish, try this dish. It’s fast and easy, plus my husband will eat anything if you put a little cheese on it.

Ingredients:
4 Tilapia fillets
Salt and pepper, to taste
3 Tbsp butter at room temperature
1 clove garlic minced
1/4 tsp thyme
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese grated

1) Preheat oven to 400ºF.

2) Pat Tilapia dry (if frozen, it should be thawed first) with a paper towel and season with salt and pepper. Lay on a baking sheet sprayed with non-stick spray and bake for 10-12 minutes.

3)While fish is baking, mix butter with garlic, thyme and Parmesan cheese (I used Parmigiano-Reggiano for this batch).

4) Remove fish from oven and gently flip. Spread about 1/2 tablespoon of butter mixture on the fish, and heat the broiler in your oven.

5) Set fish under the broiler for about 2-3 minutes, or until cheese gets golden and bubbly.

Source: Tasty Kitchen via BigOven

If you’re wondering about the asparagus, I simply tossed the spears with a little olive oil, salt and pepper then roasted it at 350° for 8 minutes.

Beef Stroganoff

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There are definitely fancier stroganoff recipes, but this is perfect for a quick weeknight meal and it’s kid-friendly (at least, there is only one ingredient my 7-year-old picks out – the onions).

Simply slice a half-cup of onion (the recipe says to chop, but I keep ’em big so my daughter can easily find them) and your red meat of choice. Sautee them ’til cooked through in a pan with a little vegetable oil, or I sometimes just spray the pan with cooking spray because it’s gonna get pretty juicy in there.


Then you’ll add the soup, sour cream and paprika. Feel free to add more paprika; it really makes the dish. Mix together well and heat through.

[I don’t have a picture of those added ingredients because I ended up transferring this to a larger pan. Maybe you suspected that was going to happen.]

Then you dish out some of these yummy egg noodles onto plates and top with the stroganoff.

Beef Stroganoff

1 lb. boneless beef sirloin steak
1/2 cup chopped* onions
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 tsp paprika
Hot cooked egg noodles

1. Cut steak into thin slices across the grain.
2. Brown the steak and onions in a small amount of oil.
3. Add soup, sour cream and paprika. Mix and heat until smooth.
4. Serve over noodles.

*Or large slices if someone wants to be able to pick them out.

Source: My mom, Beverly

Grilled Steak with Herbs

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I fell madly in love with Alice Waters’ The Art of Simple Food the moment I laid eyes on it. Even though it is sometimes a little pricey, I love to work in her wholesome, organic recipes where possible. A good friend of mine who lives in California was able to dine at her restaurant, Chez Panisse, last fall for her birthday and scored me an autographed copy of her 2nd cookbook, In the Green Kitchen, which I have spent equal time poring over.
One of my favorite recipes shows up in both of these books with very little variation. Try it the next time you’re grilling steaks and you’ll never go back to store-bought marinades or rubs again.

Mix together and rub into the steak:
3 Tbsp mixed chopped herbs such as rosemary, thyme, oregano, savory or marjoram (I like to use at least 3 different herbs – more if I have them)
2 cloves of garlic, peeled or finely chopped (or minced)
1 1/2 tsp coarse/ Kosher salt
1 tsp fresh-ground black-pepper
Drizzle with:
1 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil

Let the steak sit for 1 hour at room temperature before grilling. My husband is the grill-master and likes to sear each side (for the cute little grill marks), then turn off the middle burners on our gas grill (where the steaks are lying) leaving on only the side burners to keep it warm enough to just barely cook. He likes a lot of pink and I’m convinced that’s the best way to enjoy steak.

Source(s): In The Green Kitchen and The Art of Simple Food (both by Alice Waters)

Quick Stromboli

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Last Sunday was my daughter’s birthday and she requested her favorite meal, Stromboli, for dinner. I love it because it’s super easy and reheats well.

The original recipe called for olives and red pepper flakes, but I have small children so those got nixed. I generally make two, even though there’s only four of us, so we’re guaranteed leftovers for lunches or another dinner later in the week. Plus I can put black olives on one for the adults and leave the olives out of the kids’.

[Adapted recipe]
16 oz. loaf frozen bread dough, thawed, or pizza dough
8 oz. lean ham, thinly sliced
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1/4 cup pitted ripe black olives, sliced

1. Grease large baking sheet.
2. Roll out dough to a large square.
3. Layer ham on top of rolled out dough and top with cheese and olives.
4. Roll starting at one of the long ends, sealing the ends.
5. Place on baking sheet and bake at 375° for 25 minutes.
6. Let cool for 5 to 10 minutes before slicing to serve.

[Original recipe]
16 oz. loaf frozen wheat or white bread dough, thawed
8 oz. lean ham, thinly sliced
1/4 cup pimiento-stuffed green olives, coarsely chopped
1/4 cup pitted ripe black olives, coarsely chopped
1/4 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1/8 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
1 Tbsp reduced-fat milk
1 Tbsp shredded Parmesan cheese

1. Line a 15x10x1-inch baking pan with foil, grease foil. Set aside. On a lightly floured surface, roll bread dough to a 15×8-inch rectangle. (If dough is difficult to roll out, cover and let rest a few minutes.)
2.Top dough rectangle with ham to within 1/2-inch of the edges. Top ham with olives, mozzarella cheese, and crushed red pepper flakes. Brush edges with water.
3. Starting with a long end, roll into a spiral, pinching edges to seal. Pinch ends and tuck under.
4. Place seam side down, on prepared baking pan. Brush surface with milk.
5. Using a sharp knife, make shallow cuts diagonally at 2-inch intervals along the top to allow steam to escape.
6. If desired, sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.
7. Bake in a 375° oven for 25-30 minutes or until brown. (If necessary, cover loosely with foil after 20 minutes of baking to prevent over-browning.)

Source: Better Homes and Gardens’ New Dieters’ Cookbook (2003)

Pink Milk

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My kids love Charlie and Lola, a couple of cute British kids that used to come on the Disney Channel. We own pretty much every book and DVD on those two. One of Charlie and Lola favorite drinks is pink milk.

I found a recipe which involved ice cream, milk and strawberries, i.e., ingredients I did not have. So I adapted the chocolate milk recipe below. For pink milk, simply substitute strawberry powder for the chocolate powder (and yes, I do prefer Nesquik).

Pink milk
1 quart water
3/4 cup dry powdered milk
1/2 cup strawberry milk mix

Whisk together dry ingredients in the bottom of a pitcher. Slowly add the warm water as you are stirring. Chill for at least 3 to 4 hours before serving.


Adapted from: I Can’t Believe It’s Food Storage

Chocolate Milk

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My kids love chocolate milk. I mean, whose kid doesn’t? But let’s face it, milk is expensive. So to save a little dough I started keeping chocolate milk (made with non-instant powdered milk) in the fridge.


Chocolate Milk
1 quart warm water*
3/4 cup non-instant dry powdered milk
1/2 cup chocolate milk mix (We prefer Nesquik.)
Mix the dry ingredients in the bottom of the pitcher, then stir in the warm water. Chill for at least 3 to 4 hours before serving

No one has complained that it doesn’t taste as good as fresh milk (just don’t let them see you mixing it!). Go ahead and double it; it’s gonna disappear fast.
*Crystal Godfrey claims that the powder will dissolve easily in any temperature water. I don’t like to argue with the experts, but I have been much more successful mixing it with warm water and then refrigerating.
Source: I Can’t Believe It’s Food Storage

Cheesy Potatoes

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This dish was served at a Relief Society activity in my mom’s ward several years ago. Although it was delicious as is, I have made a few changes in both ingredients and preparation. It can be a main dish (with ham) or a side dish (without ham).

1/2 stick (4 Tbsp) butter
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 pt light sour cream
Salt and pepper to taste
1/2 Tbsp onion powder
1 to 1 1/2 cup cubed ham (optional)
1/2 to 1 cup grated cheddar cheese
~2 lb. bag of frozen hash browns

1. Melt and mix the butter, soup and sour cream in a large pot over medium heat. Stir until smooth.

2. Add the ham (optional), cheese, onion powder, salt and pepper. Heat through, stirring often.

3. Stir in the hash browns until covered with the soup mixture.

4. Transfer to a 9×13 baking dish, coated with cooking spray.

5. Bake in the oven for 50 to 60 minutes.

[The original recipe called for southern-style hash browns, although I prefer to use the shredded. Use the longer cooking time for the southern-style potatoes; the shredded hash browns take less time to cook through.]

Source: Adapted from a family friend’s recipe

Cucumber Dressing (over Fresh Tomatoes)

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One of the things I love best about summer is the fresh produce, especially fresh tomatoes. Roma are my favorite for just about everything except sandwiches. In honor of these delectable divas, I’m sharing two of my favorite ‘tomato’ recipes with you today.

2 cucumbers, washed and cut into thirds or fourths
2 Tbsp dry onion soup mix*
1 cup lite mayonnaise
2 tsp lemon juice
Salt and pepper, to taste
Fresh tomatoes, sliced or cut into large chunks

1. In a blender or food processor, shred the unpeeled cucumbers.

2. Mix with onion soup mix, mayo and lemon juice.

3. Refrigerate for at least two hours (for best taste, allow it to mesh overnight).

4. Serve over fresh tomatoes.


*This is a very mild dressing. If you prefer a stronger flavor (as my husband does), use the whole (~4 Tbsp) packet of dry onion mix and increase the amount of salt and pepper.

Adapted from Southern Living