A Little Recipe Organization

If you love cooking like me, then you have a zillion recipes floating around your house - stuffed into folders, crammed into beat-up cookbooks or earmarked in favorite cooking magazines. I like being organized and not being able to find recipes that I use constantly was getting to be frustrating. So, I came up with a few organizing ideas.

1. To cut down on magazine-mania, I went through my cooking magazines, cut out the recipes I wanted to keep or that I realistically knew I would actually make some day and slipped them into page protectors and stuck them in a binder. I chucked the rest of the magazines but did keep the magazines that were chock full of amazing recipes.

2. Now I have 2 binders. One binder (okay, one and a half - the first one overflowed) contains recipes that I have yet to try, but still interest me. The other binder is full of the recipes that I have tried and that I actually like. (Why keep a recipe everyone hated?) That way, when I want to make an old favorite, I don't have to flip through countless page protectors of gorgeous food pictures and 10 different pumpkin pie recipes to find the Sticky Chicken recipe I want.


Do you have any recipe organization tricks? Post a comment and let us know! I know I can use all the suggestions I can scrape in.

Greek Sesame Candy

Sesame candy was always a treat I liked to get when we went to the health food store, but the downside was that it was so expensive! I was thrilled to find this fun, tasty, and really easy recipe that I could make at home. It's not too sweet and just really hits the spot. It's crunchy, chewy and it's great to share. I hope you enjoy it! (I found this recipe through www.epicurious.com.)

"There are many variations of sesame honey candy from around the Mediterranean and the Middle East - some are hard and crunchy; others, like this Greek version, are chewy. This pasteli is sticky, but [using waxed paper sprayed with baking spray] will help you unmold the candy with ease."

Ingredients:
1 cup mild honey
1 cup sesame seeds, toasted in oven (I had pre-toasted seeds on hand that I used)
1/2 tsp. salt

Place wax paper on a large shallow baking pan (1 inch deep). Remove the bottom of a springform pan and set aside. Place the springform ring upside-down on the wax paper and spray the inside of the ring - wax paper and lower edge of ring - with cooking spray.

Bring the honey, sesame seeds, and salt to a boil in a 2-quart heavy saucepan over moderate heat, stirring. Then boil undisturbed until mixture registers on thermometer, about 10-15 minutes. (I live at a higher elevation and it only took 10 minutes. Any longer would have been a bad thing.)

Holding the ring in place, quickly pour the mixture into the ring, then cool on a rack until candy is set but still warm - about 30 minutes. Unmold by opening the springform ring (the candy should pop out) and peeling off the wax paper. Transfer candy to a cutting board. Cut the candy into 1-inch pieces with a large oiled knife, or if the candy is too hard, break into medium-sized pieces. Candy keeps, layered between sheets of parchment or wax paper in an airtight container in a cold dry place for 1 week.

Hush Puppies

Cornmeal makes me happy on levels I can't even describe. I guess, for me, it's a soul food. So, I'm posting one of my ultimate favorite recipes that I've tweaked to be healthier. (Originally, you're supposed to fry them in oil.) These hush puppies can be served with breakfast - I just had them with eggs and a bowl of strawberries. Delicious! You can also eat them as a substitute for cornbread with chili or any fish dish. They're just fabulous and really good for you!

Hush Puppies

1/2 cup onion, finely chopped
1 clove garlic, peeled and minced
2 cups yellow cornmeal (I think coarser meal is better, but whatever you have on hand.)
3/4 cups whole wheat flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1 Tbsp. sugar
1 1/2 tsp. salt
1 3/4 c. fat-free milk (I used reconstituted non-fat powdered milk.)
1 Tbsp. canola oil
1 large egg

Place the onion and garlic in a food processor and pulsate until finely chopped. Separately mix the cornmeal, flour, baking powder, salt and sugar together. Add the onion mixture along with the egg, milk, and oil. Stir until well blended. (If the dough is too stiff, add a little more milk. If you live in a more humid climate, you might not need as much milk.)
Spray a flat pancake grill with cooking spray. Pour about 1/4 cupful (or 1/3 of a ladelful) servings onto the grill when it is hot. Cook until golden, crispy brown on one side. Flip to cook the other side until golden. The hush puppies should cook about 3-5 minutes on each side.

Makes about 16 hush puppies.

Note: You can experiment by adding spices you like such as black pepper, cayenne pepper, basil, paprika, extra garlic or even cheese!

Pennsylvania Red Cabbage

I am always looking for new vegetable recipes that I like and will actually eat. One veggie that makes me sublimely happy (and don't ask me why - I have no idea!) is cabbage. I absolutely love it! Red cabbage's gorgeous purple color makes me extra happy and since I had one sitting in the veggie drawer of my fridge I decided to find a recipe dedicated to the little head. And I found one! (In my Better Homes and Gardens Cookbook.) And without further ado, here it is!

Pennsylvania Red Cabbage

2 Tbsp. brown sugar
2 Tbsp. vinegar
1 Tbsp. canola oil
1/4 tsp. caraway seed (opt.)
2 Tbsp. water
1/4 tsp. salt
Dash of pepper
2 cups shredded red cabbage
3/4 cup coarsely chopped apple

In a large skillet stir together the brown sugar, vinegar, oil, caraway seed, water, salt, and pepper. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes or till hot, stirring occasionally. Stir in cabbage and apple. Cook, covered, over medium-low heat for 10 to 12 minutes or till crisp-tender, stirring occasionally. Serves 3 to 4. (Or makes 2, one cup servings.)

Chalupa Goop

Well, it's actually called "Mexican Chalupas", but my husband and I just started calling it "Chalupa Goop" because it rhymed and sounded funny. :-) This stuff is so good and super easy to make. You can eat it in a tortilla, over rice, on a salad or just plain with tortilla chips. You decide! I got this recipe from my mother-in-law and it's been a family favorite ever since.
Also, if you're into food storage, this recipe uses everything that is food storage-friendly, and it also freezes really well. How much more perfect could you get?

Chalupa Goop

1 small picnic pork or 2 cans of chicken, drained (We use the chicken.)
1 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. cumin
1 tsp. chili powder
1 large can chopped green chilies
16 oz. jar picante sauce (it looks like salsa, but it's runnier)
16 oz. jar green salsa (salsa verde)
2 cans pinto beans
1 can diced tomatoes, with juice (opt.)

Add everything into a crockpot, or if you're in a hurry, cooking it in a pot works too. Heat until warm. Serve on warm torillas and garnish with cheese, sour cream, and lettuce.

Low-Fat Cinnamon Buns

I found this wonderful recipe for cinnamon rolls! This recipe uses no butter!! The bread is tender and delicious and the filling is extraordinary! I just had to share it. It is a Weight Watchers recipe, and I believe you can actually get the recipe from their website. (I have made a few adjustments that I thought necessary.)

Low-Fat Cinnamon Buns

1 cup fat-free skim milk (I used powdered milk.)
1 Tbsp. canola oil
1 Tbsp. sugar
1 tsp. salt
1 Tbsp. yeast, about 1 package
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, sifted, divided
1/4 cup unpacked brown sugar
1/4 cup dark corn syrup
2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/8 tsp. ground nutmeg (I put in 1/4 tsp.)
1 tsp. orange zest, grated (opt.) (I put in about 1/4 tsp. and the orange flavor was really pronounced.)
1/4 cups raisins, dried cherries or cranberries (I skipped these.)

Stir together milk, canola oil, sugar and salt in a small saucepan. Heat on low to lukewarm. Pour yeast over 2 tablespoons lukewarm water and let sit 5 minutes. Stir into milk mixture.

Transfer warm milk to a large mixing bowl and beat in half the flour by hand or with an electric mixer. Mix in enough remaining flour to make a soft dough. Let rest 10 minutes; knead well on a floured board or with an electric mixer and dough hook. Let rest 10 minutes.

Spray a large, clean bowl with cooking spray, add dough, cover with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1 hour.

Lightly coat a 9-inch round baking pan with cooking spray. (I needed two 9-inch round baking pans - 12 rolls don't fit in a 9-inch pan with room enough to rise.) Turn the dough onto a floured surface and roll into a 12 x 10-inch rectangle. Spray with cooking spray.

Stir together brown sugar, corn syrup, cinnamon, nutmeg and orange zest; brush over dough. (Too thick to brush, so I spread it with a spatula. Also, I'd recommend pouring a 1/3 of the filling into the baking pans and using 2/3 for the filling. I found that if I used all of it, the filling would ooze out a lot as I was cutting the rolls, as if it was too full.) Sprinkle with raisins. Roll up tightly, like a jelly roll. Cut into 12 pieces. (A trick I do is to use a length of thread to cut the rolls. Thread doesn't press the dough down, causing more filling to squish out. Simply place the thread underneath the roll where you'd like to cut, cross the thread and pass one end under the other - like you're starting to tie your shoes. Then pull both ends until the dough is cut through. Easy!)

Place buns cut-side up in baking pan. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise until doubled, about 1 hour. Preheat oven to 350ºF. Bake buns until firm and nicely browned on top, 30 minutes. Cool for 15 minutes before inverting onto a serving plate. YUM! (These rolls don't really need a frosting at all!)

Pecan Cinnamon Sticky Buns variation (as seen in the picture above)
After you spray the cooking pan with cooking spray, drizzle the 1/3 of the filling over the bottom of the pan. Then sprinkle on about 1 Tbsp. of brown sugar to fill in the gaps. Next, sprinkle about a 1/2 cup of pecan pieces evenly over the filling and brown sugar. Then, just place the cut cinnamon rolls right on top of the pecans/sugar mixture. Rise and bake as normal. After cooling, make sure to invert onto a plate because the gooey, yummy stuff will harden like candy and will make it really hard to get the rolls out or to scrape off the extra from the pan.
I just made this version today and it was AMAZING! And I really mean AMAZING!

Cold Veggie Pizza

This is a refreshing twist on regular pizza. It's made fresh and served cold. It's also a great way to get plenty of vegetable servings in one sitting. If smaller children are going to be eating it, you might want to try softer vegetables over hard to chew ones like broccoli or carrots.
Also, this recipe is a longer time investment than some. You might want to prepare the cream cheese base, crust, and veggies earlier in the day and chill until you're ready to assemble your pizza.

Cold Veggie Pizza

• Pre-made and chilled whole wheat pizza crust (see recipe below) (or buy ready-made)
• Garlic-cream cheese base (see recipe below)
* cold chicken or pepperoni, diced (if desired)
• 1/4 - 1/2 cup each of the following veggies (cut into small pieces):
carrots, sprouts (uncut), celery, tomatoes, broccoli, red onions, red cabbage, jalapeños, red or green peppers, fresh spinach, marinated sun-dried tomatoes, cucumbers, artichoke hearts, any other veggies you love or can think of!

1. Spread cream cheese base onto chilled crust. Add veggies (and meat) to your desire. Cut carefully and serve right away!

Cream Cheese Base
1 pkg. light cream cheese (Neufchatel)
2 Tbsp. minced garlic
1 Tbsp. minced, dried onion
2 tsp. oregano
1/8 tsp. red (cayenne) pepper
1/8 tsp. lemon pepper
3 Tbsp. milk

Process in a food processor or with a hand mixer until well blended and smooth. Chill until ready to use.

Whole Wheat Pizza Crust
7/8 cup warm water (literally)
1 package dry yeast
1/2 tsp. sugar
1 1/4 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 tsp. salt
1 Tbsp. olive oil

1. Put the water in a 2 cup measuring cup. Add the yeast and sugar and stir. Let sit for 3 minutes until foamy.
2. Put the metal blade in the bowl of a food processor, add the flour and salt, and pulse to mix. Stir the yeast mixture, turn on the machine, and slowly pour the mixture into the feed tube while the machine is running. Process until a ball of dough forms. Add the oil, then process for 40 seconds to knead the dough. Pull the dough out and knead on a lightly covered surface for about 5 minutes more.
3. Put the dough in a bowl that has been oiled lightly with olive oil. Cover with plastic wrap or a cloth. Put in a warm place and leave it until double in size, about 45 minutes – 1 hour.
4. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
5. Punch the dough down, flatten it out onto a pan sprinkled with cornmeal (or you can cook on a pizza stone.) Cook for 20-25 minutes or until lightly golden brown. The dough will cook fairly quickly, so keep an eye on it. Chill until ready to use.