Hamburger Steaks Deluxe

This a recipe that I remember Mom (Sheila Brinkerhoff) making when I was a child. It is hamburger patties with a mushroom gravy. It is delicious!

Hamburger Steaks Deluxe

1 lb. hamburger

1 egg

1/4 c. bread crumbs

1 t. worcesterhsire sauce

1 pkg. dry onion soup mix

2 T. flour

2 c. mushroom liquid/water with boullion/broth

1/2 c. (4 oz.) mushrooms

Mix hamburger, egg, bread crumbs, worcestershire sauce and 1/2 of soup mix. Form patties. Fry on both sides until desired doneness. Remove from skillet and set aside. Mix liquid, 1/2 of soup mix and flour; add to the skillet. Stir until smooth and incorporates hamburger bits in skillet. Let thicken. Return patties to the gravy and add mushrooms. Simmer, about 5 minutes, to heat heat though. 

Serve with rice, mashed potatoes, noodles or grilled vegetables. 

Recipe shared by Robin.

Another lemon recipe that I found on Somewhat Simple. It is a guest blogger recipe from The Baker Upstairs.

homemade lemon curd

AUGUST 20, 2013 by ALICIA S. 

Hello again! I’m always excited to share posts here on Somewhat Simple. It’s such a great community and I love all your nice comments! I’ve got another amazing recipe to share with you today… homemade lemon curd! 

The curd was much easier to make than I had thought, and it came together pretty fast. I even broke some of the “rules” (I used whole eggs instead of just yolks, and didn’t add butter at the end) and it still turned out amazing! It was one of those, “Holy cow, I can’t believe I made this at home!” moments. I love impressing myself with my culinary prowess. 

Homemade Lemon Curd

(makes 1 cup)

2 whole eggs

3/4 cup sugar

1/2 cup fresh lemon juice (that was two lemons for me, but mine were huge!)

zest of two lemons

In a medium saucepan, whisk together eggs, sugar, lemon juice, and lemon zest until well blended. Heat over medium heat, whisking constantly, until thickened to desired consistency. Remove from heat and pour into a bowl or jar. Cover the surface with plastic wrap (so none of the curd is exposed to air) and chill in the fridge for at least one hour. Store in the refrigerator.

Notes: I doubled the recipe and it worked great! Also, mine has been going strong in the fridge now for several weeks now, and makes my toast every morning extra special.

Recipe shared by Robin.

Rolo Cookie Bars

Yummy! Another recipe from Somewhat Simple. It is a guest posting from Something Swanky.

Rolo Cookie Bars

Ingredients:

• 1 cup butter, softened
• 1 1/4 cup packed brown sugar
• 2 eggs
• 2 tbsp milk
• 2 tsp vanilla
• 1 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 2 1/2 cups old fashioned oats
• 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 1 cup Rolo Bites candy (already unwrapped)
• Optional: 1 cup chopped pecans

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375ºF. Prepare a 9×13 baking dish by lining it with parchment paper. If necessary, foil can be used, but it must be sprayed with cooking spray.
2. Mix together (using a stand mixer or by hand) the butter, brown sugar, and eggs. Mix in the milk, vanilla, flour, baking soda, salt, and oats.
3. Stir in the chocolate chips, Rolos, and pecans.
4. Spread the dough in the prepared baking dish. Bake for approximately 20-25 minutes. The edges should be set and golden brown, and the tops of the bars should look mostly “dry.”
5. Allow to cool for at least 10 minutes before cutting.

Recipe shared by Robin.

Lemon Meringue Pie

This is a recipe from Crisco.com for the Lemon Pie Filling and the Meringue. Yum!

Lemon Meringue Pie

1 hrs
30 min
8 servings

INGREDIENTS:

• CRUST
• Single crust Classic Crisco Pie Crust
• FILLING
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/3 cup cornstarch
• 1/8 teaspoon salt (optional)
• 1 1/2 cups cold water
• 1 large egg yolk, lightly beaten
• 1/3 cup lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon grated lemon peel
• MERINGUE
• 3 large egg whites
• 1/8 teaspoon salt (optional)
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

PREPARATION DIRECTIONS:

1. 1.
   HEAT oven to 425ºF. Prepare single pie crust according to recipe directions, using a 9-inch pie plate. Cool.


2. 2.
   REDUCE oven temperature to 350°F.


3. 3.
   COMBINE sugar, cornstarch and salt in medium saucepan. Gradually stir in water until mixture is well blended. Cook and stir over medium-high heat until mixture comes to a boil. Reduce heat to low. Cook and stir 3 minutes. Remove from heat.


4. 4.
   STIR small amount of hot mixture into egg yolk in small bowl. Return mixture to saucepan. Cook and stir 1 minute. Remove from heat. Stir in lemon juice and lemon peel.


5. 5.
   BEAT egg whites and salt in small bowl until frothy. Gradually add sugar, beating well after each addition. Beat until stiff, but not dry. Beat in vanilla.


6. 6.
   SPOON filling into baked pie shell. Spread meringue over filling, sealing meringue to edge of pie shell.


7. 7.
   BAKE at 350ºF for 15 minutes or until golden brown. Cool completely on rack. Cut with sharp knife dipped into hot water.
8. 
   
9. Recipe shared by Robin.

Mini Lemon Meringue Pies!

Another fresh squeezed lemon recipe from Somewhat Simple!

Easy Pie Crust Recipe + Mini Lemon Meringue Pies 

MARCH 13, 2015 by SARAH 

This is a sponsored post on behalf of Crisco. All opinions are my own and 100% genuine, 
based on my experience with the product/company. 

All my life I’ve used an oil crust recipe, because it was, in my mind, easier. But since it’s National #PiDay, I decided it was time to step out of my comfort zone.

You guys. This Classic Pie Crust recipe from Crisco is seriously so easy! And so much tastier + flakier than my go-to recipe. I’ve officially converted over. #CriscoKnowsPie

I think huge part of why this was easier was because of the Crisco Baking Sticks. It’s like the best thing ever created. I’ve never used them before, but they are, in fact, fantastic and make my pie-making-life so much easier! Boo-yah.

EASY PIE CRUST 
(single crust recipe or 12 mini crusts)

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 1/3 cups all purpose flour
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 stick chilled Crisco Baking Stick (I used the butter flavor)
• 3-6 Tbs cold water

So, I’ve always stayed away from these butter type crusts, because I didn’t have a pastry blender, or pastry cutter. I always thought you needed one or the other.  I have NO idea why I thought that. Because you actually don’t need a blasted thing. You can use your HANDS. (This is the part where I beg you to wash them with soap first)  And this is also especially convenient when you realize that you forgot to start the dishwasher the night before and all your forks are dirty. Not that this was the case for me… *cough*

DIRECTIONS:

1. Blend flour + salt in a bowl.

2. Cut up 1/2 of the Baking Stick into cubes.

3. With your hands or, if you’re the lucky type, the pastry blender or cutter (or even a fork – but I found my hands were the easiest), combine the ingredients until the dough resembles crumbs:

4. Stir (or massage) in just enough water until the dough holds together. (I only needed the 3 Tbs.) You should be able to create a smooth ball that doesn’t fall apart.

5. Shape dough into a ball and chill for at least 30 min.

6. Roll out the dough on a floured surface (I’ve always used the wax paper method, and this was hands down easier!). Now, if you’re making a regular pie, you want it to be 2 in. wider than your pie plate. But since I was making mini pies, I just rolled the dough out a little thinner than I would normally. Using a large cup, I cut out circles, then placed them in my muffin tins, not caring about where the creases ended up:

7. The single pie crust recipe made 12 mini pies. I then pricked the bottoms with a butter knife, because the dishwasher wasn’t done yet. *Ahem*

8. Bake your mini crusts in the lower third of the oven, at °425 F, for 8-12 minutes, or until lightly golden.

9. Pull them out (I adored how nicely they just popped out!), and place on a cookie sheet to cool.

And now for the filling. At this point, you could just add your favorite pie filling, cut a slice of banana and add some pudding, top with whipped cream, etc, but I had some lemons that were screaming to be made into mini lemon meringue pies. Screaming. 

They do sell lemon pie filling in a can, but I’m a homemade lovin’ type of gal, so I made my own lemon filling + meringue (similar recipe here). When I had it all ready to go, I filled the mini pie crusts with the filling, then topped with the meringue. I just picked them up and ‘frosted’ them like a cupcake, making sure the meringue touched the edges of the pies crust to seal in the filling.

Bake at °350 F for about 15 min, or until the meringue is golden brown. Cool Completely and enjoy!

I love mini pies. All that’s required to eat them are your hands (and the occasional napkin), it saves you from dirtying more dishes, and you don’t need a fork.

Because, you know. Sometimes you forget to start the dishwasher.  And that’s ok. 

Recipe shared by Robin.

I received this recipe in an email from Somewhat Simple. I want to collect good recipes for fresh lemons! It is perfect for summer!

Fresh Squeezed Homemade Lemonade

MAY 13, 2015 by MEGAN 

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 1/2 cups lemon juice (about 7 large lemons)
• 1 3/4 cup white sugar
• 8 cups water
• mint leaves for garnish, optional

DIRECTIONS:

1. In a small saucepan over medium-high heat, combine sugar and one cup of water. Bring mixture to a boil, stirring often until sugar is completely dissolved (about 5 minutes).
2. Allow mixture to come to room temperature and chill for 1 hour.
3. In a large pitcher, combine juice from lemons, the remaining seven cups of water and the sugar water mixture. Stir well and chill.
4. Serve cold with a mint leave, or, if you’re feeling extra fancy, wet the rim of you glass with some water, then dip into a small pile of sugar to coat the glass rim in something sweet.

Beef Chop Suey

I am on an Asian Food kick! I am craving delicious tastes! So, this is another recipe that I found when I was searching for the recipe that Mom wanted.

Beef Chop Suey

1 pound hamburger
1 large onion, cut in wedges
3 medium stalks of celery, cut in 1" pieces
1 can (10oz.) can of beef broth
2 T. soy sauce
1 can (16oz.) bean sprouts
2 T. cornstarch
1/4 c. water

Hot cooked rice or rice noodles or chow mein noodles

Brown hamburger. Add onion, celery, broth and soy sauce. Cook, stirring occassionally for 15 minutes or until onion and celery are tender-crisp. Add sprouts, cook to heat through. Stir in a mixture of cornstarch and water, cook and stir to thicken. Serve over rice, rice noodles, or chow meain noodles with more soy sauce. Serves 4.

Recipe shared by Robin.

Ground Beef with Chinese Vegetables

This is a recipe that I made a lot when my children were little. We loved it, but I have not made it in a long time. I wonder why? I think that it sounds really good right now!

Ground Beed with Chinese Vegetables

1 pound hamburger
2 carrots, sliced on the diagonal
1 can (5oz.) bean sprouts, drained
1 can (5oz.) water chestnuts, drained
2 T. soy sauce

3 cups cooked rice

Brown hamburger. Add carrots and cook until tender. Add bean sprouts, water chestnuts and soy sauce. Heat through. Serve over rice. Serves 4.

Recipe shared by Robin.

Chinese Rice Casserole

Mom called me today to see if I had an old recipe that she had been thinking about. And, guess what!? I did! She said that we had this casserole often when we were growning up but stopped making it because it was too salty for Dad's high blood pressure. When I read that the recipe calls for 2 teaspoons of soy sauce, I really don't think that it would effect his blood pressure that much. But, maybe it was the extra soy sauce that Dad would add to it during dinner!

Chinese Rice Casserole

1 pound of hamburger
1 cup diced onions
1 cup diced celery (Does this seem excessive to you, too?)
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 can cream of chicken soup (Cream of celery would be good, too.)
2 teaspoons soy sauce
1/2 cup water
3 c. cooked rice

1 small can of chow mein noodles

Brown the hamburger. Add the other ingredients, EXCEPT the chow mein noodles. Place in a 9x13 casserole dish and top with the chow mein noodles. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes. Serves 6-8.

I found the recipe on allrecipes.com, if you want a little bit different version.

Recipe shared by Robin.

Pad Thai

I found this recipe on Pinterest and I really need to eat some Pad Thai today! I found it on Brownie for Dinner.

Easy Pad Thai

(adapted from Everyday Food)

Serves 4

8 ounces dried, wide and flat rice noodles
2 tablespoons brown sugar
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice, plus wedges for serving
3 tablespoons soy sauce
1 squirt (about 1/8 teaspoon) Sriracha (optional)
2 teaspoons vegetable oil
3 scallions (green onions), white and green parts, separated and thinly sliced
1 garlic clove, minced
2 large eggs, light beaten (optional)
1/2 cup fresh cilantro
1/4 cup chopped roasted, salted peanuts

1. Soak noodles according to package instructions. Drain.
2. In a small bowl, whisk together brown sugar, lime juice, soy sauce, and Sriracha.
3. In a large nonstick skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat.
4. Add scallion whites and garlic and cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant (about 30 seconds). Add eggs and cook, scraping skillet with spatula until eggs are almost set (about 30 seconds). Transfer eggs to a plate.
5. Add noodles, scallion greens, and sauce to skillet. Cook, tossing constantly, until noodles are soft (about 1 minute). Add egg mixture and toss to coat, breaking eggs up gently.
6. Serve noodles with lime wedges, topped with cilantro and peanuts.

Notes and variations

• Per serving: 315 calories, 7g fat (0.9g saturated fat), 3.6g protein, 60.5g carb, 1.4g fiber
• Per serving: $1.50 or less.
• As long as you use a gluten-free soy sauce, this is a gluten-free recipe.
• Vegetarian, even. Skip the eggs for vegan.
• If you’re a carnivore try this: While the noodles are soaking, cut up 1 small chicken breast (or half of one of the colossal ones) into bite sized pieces. Marinate the chicken in a little bit of soy sauce and garlic (or make a little extra of the sauce for the noodles and marinate the chicken in that). OR: use shrimp (marinate same as chicken)… heck, use both. Cook them before you add the noodles to the pan.
• Leftovers: heat in the microwave or toss in a hot skillet for a minute to warm the noodles. Not as good as the first day but with a little extra lime juice, it makes a nice leftover-lunch.

Recipe shared by Robin.

Fruit Cobbler

This is a great recipe for cobbler from Nelma Irvine...Grandma Irvine. It is a different way to make the cobbler. You have to have faith. It really does work!

Fruit Cobbler

1 cube of butter

1 c. flour

3/4 c. sugar

2 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. baking soda

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 tsp. cinnamon

3/4 c. milk

2 c. fresh fruit (peaches, strawberry rhubarb, plums, berries)

1 c. sugar

Melt the butter in a 8x8 (or 9x9) baking pan in the oven at 375 degrees. 

Mix flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon together. Add milk and stir together well. (This can be blended to get it well mixed. That's how Grandma taught me to make it.)

Stir the fruit and the sugar together. Set aside.

Pour batter over the hot melted butter. DO NOT STIR! Spoon the sugared fruit over the batter. Bake at 375 degrees for 1 hour. 

Put a cookie sheet under the baking pan, since this has a tendancy to overflow.

If you double the recipe, use a 11x15 baking pan because a 9x13 is just too small. The cobbler will overflow the pan.

Recipe shared by Robin.

Boud's Pudding Sauce

This recipe came with Jay when we got married. It is a family favorite over carrot pudding or other desserts.

Boud's Pudding Sauce

1 cube of butter
3 Tbsp. flour
2 c. water
1 c. sugar
1 tsp. vanilla or rum flavoring (you chose which flavor you like best.)
Shake of nutmeg

Melt butter in a saucepan. Add flour. Stir until smooth. Add sugar and flavoring. Stir and cook until thickened. Add nutmeg. Serve hot over carrot pudding.

Recipe shared by Robin.

Carrot Pudding

This is a recipe that came with Jay when we got married. His family ate it for Thanksgiving or Christmas or Easter.

Carrot Pudding

1 c. shredded carrots
3 eggs
1c. oil
3 c. flour
1 c. molasses
1/2 c. sugar
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. allspice
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
2 tsp. vanilla
1 c. applesauce
1 c. raisins
1c. chopped walnuts

Beat eggs and sugar. Add oil and molasses. Add carrots and applesauce. Add flour and spices. Add raisins and nuts.  Place in a well oiled steamed pudding mold. Steam in a large pan with hot water 1/3 of the way up the sides, for about 3 hours. Let cool a bit. Spoon into serving bowls and top with Boud's Pudding Sauce.

Boud's Pudding Sauce

1 cube of butter
3 Tbsp. flour
2 c. water
1 c. sugar
1 tsp. vanilla or rum flavoring (you chose which flavor you like best.)
Shake of nutmeg

Melt butter in a saucepan. Add flour. Stir until smooth. Add sugar and flavoring. Stir and cook until thickened. Add nutmeg. Serve hot over carrot pudding.

Recipe shared by Robin.

Tuna Noodle Casserole

This is a recipe that came with Jay when we got married. His family ate it often when he was growing up.

Tuna Noodle Casserole

2 c. canned milk
2 cans cream of mushroom soup
2 cans of tuna
1 c. uncooked egg noodles

Cook the noodles according to the package. Mix together all of the ingredients. Top with crushed potato chips or buttered bread crumbs.  Pour into a greased casserole dish and bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.

Recipe shared by Robin.

Tijuana Toss-Up

This recipe is from Nelma Irvine... Grandma Irvine.

Tijuana Toss-Up

1 1/2 lbs. hamburger
1 pkg. chili seasoning mix
2 cans tomato sauce
1/2 c. water
1 c. beans- kidney or chili beans

Brown hamburger. Add seasoning mix; then remaining indgredients. Simmer 10 minutes. Serve with shredded lettuce, chopped tomatoes, corn, onions, sliced avocado, grated cheese and corn chips, as desired.

Recipe shared by Robin.

Meat Patties in Sweet and Sour Sauce

The recipe is from Nelma Irvine... Grandma Irvine.

Meat Patties in Sweet and Sour Sauce

2 c. soft bread crumbs
1/2 c. chopped onion
1 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. thyme
1/2 c. water
1 lb. hamburger
1 c. sliced onion
1/4 c. brown sugar
2 Tbsp. flour
1/4 c. vinegar
2 Tbsp. water
2 tsp. mustard

Combine bread crumbs, onions, seasonings and 1/2 c. water. Let stand 5 minutes. Add hamburger and shape into patties. Brown patties. Add onion slices after you turn the patties.

Combine brown sugar, flour, vinegar, 2 Tbsp. water and mustard. Pour over meat and onions. Cover and let simmer 25 minutes.

Recipes shared by Robin.