Hobo dinner

I forgot to take a picture, but next time I make one I will take some.. and next camping trip will definitely contain a hobo dinner or foil dinner.. whatever you want to call it.

I used:
steak, red skin potatoes, baby carrots, & white onion.

First, cut up your ingredients to the size of  your preference. I cut everything to about the same size so that they all cooked evenly and so they were easy for my kids to eat. I think next time I will add cabbage as well.

Next, add salt & pepper and creole seasoning (or season salt), and sprinkle some beef broth over it all.

cut about a 2 foot long or so piece of foil and put your ingredients on one end. veggies on the left, meat on the right (or vice versa)

Then, fold the foil over and roll up all 4 sides. Add another piece of foil again to cover the entire thing.

cook over coil in a campfire for about an hour. check after about 30-45 min. and turn over once.

So easy and delicious!! perfect camping dinner.

4 Cheese Rosa pasta w/ Steak

Add olive oil to pan and start pan frying the steak on med heat, sprinkle with salt & pepper and a dash of minced dry onion (or fresh)
  Meanwhile...

Add butter to a pan and 2 laughing cow cheese triangles.
Add about 1T minced garlic and 2 cups heavy whipping cream, stir until all mixed well.
Add 1T basil pesto

(For side dish: purple cauliflower.. saute in butter in pan with salt & pepper)

Add 1-2c Four Cheese Rosa sauce and parmesan cheese;  simmer on med-low heat

Drain steak when about 3/4 cooked, in a strainer.

Spray pan with pam and add cooked noodles,al dente (I used flat rice noodle).
Add strained steak, then pour sauce into noodles.. as much or as little as you want.
  Add extra parmesan cheese & salt & pepper to taste.

steak & gravy.. revamp

I didn't spend a lot of time taking the photograph.. but I promise the flavors are good!

I took some leftover steak and added some water to a pan.. let come to a boil.. remove steak.

add milk (I used goats milk.. baby has colic..), about 1 Tbsp ketchup, chopped onions, 1 Tbsp flour: boil until reduced and thickens

add 1 laughing cow cheese triangle & salt & pepper to taste :)

add steak and let simmer for a few minutes.

made with some yummy rice, asparagus & carrots (veggies simmered in butter, garlic, & onion)

Carne Asada Roast

Use a round pot roast-good quality meat. About 2-3 days prior to cooking, marinate:
*stuff the middle of the roast with a carrot or polska sausage
*chopped 1 onion, 4 garlic cloves, salt, 1 cup red wine vinegar, and 1-2 Tbsp worstechire

In a pan, heat a few tbsp oil and fry meat on high for a min each side, turn heat to low and pour marinade in pan with 1 c water. add chopped potatoes
Cook for about 1-2 hrs
add carrots, sausage (about 1/2 way through)

Near the end, combine:
*2 cans tomatoe sauce
*1/2 can tomatoe paste
*parsley
*salt and pepper
blend then add to meat and simmer

When meat is done in middle, slice and serve.

Grandma's Meatloaf

1 lb ground beef in a bowl
add:
chopped onion (about 1 cup)
garlic, 1 Tbsp
1-2 Tbsp ketchup, spaghetti sauce, and tomato paste
a few dashes of salt, seasoning salt, & pepper
a pinch of parsley
1 Tbsp worstechire sauce
1 egg

meanwhile: break up about 1 slice of bread and soak in 1/2 milk, 1/2 heavy whipping cream. then add to meat (drain the bread first)

fry a few slices of sausage (polska keilbasa) just a couple minutes each side

Mix all ingredients and meat with hands.
divide into 1/2
add 1/2 to bottom of loaf pan
add a few slices of partially cooked sausage in middle
add second 1/2 of meat on top
rub top with 1/2 keptchup, 1/2 spaghetti sauce and a little tomato paste
sprinkle top with bread crumbs (I used italian and panko..both are good)
add a few raw slices of bacon on top and sprinkle with parsley

Bake at 350 degrees for about 1 hr

once finished, collect some juice from pan and add to a bowl. add more ketchup, tomato paste, and spaghetti sauce and add meatloaf to a dish, spreading sauce on top and serve!

I served this at a RS function and it turned out great! first time I ever made it.

Peruvian Lomo Saltado

Sorry the picture doesn't quite do it justice.. I keep forgetting to take a picture before we've already eaten!

Start off by cutting your golden potatoes into strip, for french fries and soak in cold water..reserve in fridge(this releases some of the starch)
Slice your steak into strips and marinade in a ziploc bag: a few dashes of cumin, paprika and soy sauce, with a little bit of salt and pepper. reserve
take out your potatoes and drain and dry
cut up a few baby carrots, roma tomaotes, white onion, red onion, green onion, and cilantro.
heat olive oil in pan on med-high. remove meat and fry until meat is about medium, remove and reserve in bowl.
add 1 tbsp olive oil, add onions and carrots and fry for 1 minute. add tomatoes and meat . add a few splashes of white wine vinegar and soy sauce. cover and simmer on medium heat.
fry french fries on med-high for a few seconds, drain, then turn up heat to high and fry again unti golden brown, drain (drain in strainer, not paper towel).
add french fries to stir fry and cilantro and a few sprinkles of parsley. add salt and pepper to taste!
This one tastes pretty authentic for you Peruvian food lovers! Serve with rice and black beans (recipe to come)

Meaty & Cheesy Lasagna

I apologize for the terrible picture quality and overall picture.. I made this for a church function and decided to take a picture of it with my phone after it had already been partially devoured..otherwise I was told it was delicious :)

This is a homemade mostly from scratch..so it isn't your quick and easy fix meal..but the quality is there.

The sauce:
1 can 28 oz crushed tomatoes
about 1/2 white onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
3/4 celery stalk, cut in pieces
4-5 baby carrots
2 bay leaves, or a dash of crushed bay leaves
4 Tbsp butter
about 1/2 c olive oil
5 fresh basil leaves
small handful of fresh chopped parsley
dash of fennel seed
sea salt & pepper

add butter to pan, onion, and garlic..saute. add olive oil. mix the rest of the ingredients. simmer for 30 min-1 hr.
blend in small batches (if you used whole bay leaves, you can take them out)

add about 1/2 c or so of alfredo sauce :)

Ricotta filling:
1/2 large Ricotta tub (whole milk)
large handful of fresh chopped baby spinach (I like to cut off the stems)
1/2 c fresh parmesan cheese (not the kind in the container)
1 egg
2 triangles laughing cow swiss cheese
about 1/2 c or more grated mozzarella cheese

mix ingredients together

-cook lasagna noodles al dente with italian seasoning. add to cold water and let dry.
-brown 1 lb lean hamburger meat, season with seasoning salt
-brown 2 italian sausages ( I took out the casing and cooked it in small pieces)

drain grease and add to sauce for about 15-30 min.

Heat oven to 450 degrees

in a about a 9x13 dish, add a layer of sauce, sprinkle grated mozzarella cheese, then lay down noodles side by side, spread a layer of ricotta filling on noodles, then another layer of sauce and repeat..although I only added the grated mozzarella cheese at the bottom and the top, not all the layers. once you get to the top and you had noodles, add another thin layer of sauce and grated mozzarella cheese on top. Sprinkle top with parsley.
Bake 450 for 15 min, cover with foil

You will not be disappointed!

Pastel

This my dear is what we call Pastel (pronounced like posh-tew) Is it yummy in my tummy (of coarse most things fried are). salgadinho's are tasty salty treats!


So, first you need masa (which is the flattened dough, which I'm sure none of you are going to make..unless you have a tortilla press, otherwise..you need to buy this, which is sorta like an egg roll dough. I get these in Brasil and they are round, but square ones would work.

*Add cooked hamburger meat (cooled) in the center; you can also add some cheese. dab your finger in some water and seal the edges. fold over and seal by pressing a fork all the way around the edges.

*Next .. you fry in med-high heated oil...until golden brown.

(side note: make sure your meat isn't too hot when making these, because it will make a tear in your dough because of the heat).

This is a typical Brasilian home meal.. enjoy

Arepas

super simple!

I just bought Harina PAN white corn flour (pre cooked) I got this at Lee Lee supermart (Dobson & Warner)
mix the flour with water (about 1:1) until you get a good dough consistency. add the water first, then salt (about 1tsp) and flour last. need until dough forms
make about 2-3 in sized balls, well compacted (or whatever size arepa you prefer)
with the palm of your hand rotate the ball into a flatten disc shape (with enough thickness to slice down the middle for your fillings)
heat a greased griddle to med heat and grill on each side for about 5 or so minutes..when it browns a little (should sound kinda hollow if you tap it) another option would be to pan fry it and that also is delicious!
Next add your ingredients:

I used shredded beef, guacamole, cheese, lettuce, black beans, sour cream and fresh salsa with this tradition Venezuelan dish!

Enjoy!!

Heres another version you can also try (courtesy Bobby Flay):
2 1/2 cups milk
1/2 stick (1/4 cup) unsalted butter, cut into pieces
1 1/2 cups white arepa flour (precooked cornmeal)
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon honey
Vegetable or canola oil, for cooking
Bring milk to a simmer in a small saucepan, then remove from heat and stir in butter.

Combine arepa flour, salt, pepper and cotija in a large bowl. Add the hot milk and honey and stir until combined. Let mixture stand until milk is absorbed enough for a soft dough to form, 1 to 2 minutes (dough will continue to stiffen).

Form the dough into 12 balls (about 2 inches in diameter) and flatten between palms into 3 1/2 to 4-inch patties (about 1/3-inch thick).

Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat until the oil begins to shimmer, fry 4 arepas at a time, until lightly golden brown on both sides and just cooked through about 2 to 3 minutes per side; transfer to a baking sheet lined with paper towels.

Slice the arepas in half crosswise, mound some of the ingredients on the bottom, and top with the other half.

3 Bean & Beef Chili

This is a recipe I came up with that is quick and easy! I will also post my made from scratch recipe in the future and pictures will come soon, when I make it again. I made it for the ward chili cook off and didn't have a lot of time..and it won! so it's fast and still delicious :)
*Brown about 1 lb - 1 1/2 lb ground beef, add onion and garlic & seasoning salt. drain add to crock pot on low
*Sauté 1/2 or whole cut in half twice polska beef smoked sausage with dried onion, garlic, and chopped parsley. add to crock pot
*Add about 3 cans organic tri-bean blend (kidney, black, and pinto) and juice from 1-2 cans.
*Add about 1-2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce, 1/2 c spaghetti sauce (tomato & basil), 1 can petite diced tomatoes, 1 package gonga breath sloppy joe mix, cumin and chili powder to taste, salt & pepper.
Let simmer in crock pot on high and enjoy!!
(it's all about the equal balance of the seasonings..so you really need to taste as you go along) of course the taste will be better as it simmers

Top it off with shredded cheese :)

Roast Beef Pita with Fried Zucchini

Ingredients: Roast Beef salad
Roast Beef
Avocado
Green onion
Tomato
Parsley
Garlic Salt
Tear up roast beef (deli sliced) in pieces, into a bowl. Slice avocado and tomato. Chop green onion (I like to use both green side and white side). Sprinkle parsley and garlic salt to taste, then store in a container in fridge..while you make the pita bread!
Ingredients: Whole Wheat Pita

2 (1/4 oz) pkg active dry yeast
2 c warm H20
1/2 tsp honey
1/4 c olive oil
1 tbsp salt
5 c wheat flour
cornmeal
In a bowl, dissolve yeast in 1/2 c warm H20. Add 1/2 of the honey, let stand for 5 min. Add olive oil, remaining H20 and honey; mix. Stir in wheat flour and salt; knead onto floured surface (I use wheat flour again). Let it rise in a greased bowl for 30 min covered. Flatten a ball about the size of your fist, dip one side with cornmeal, bake on a slightly greased pan @ 475 degrees for 8-10 min. Cut in half and split with a knife to make a pita pocket!

Ingredients: fried zucchini

Zucchini
Bread Crumbs
Eggs
Oil
Slice Zucchini to desired thickness. Coat in eggs, previously whisked; then coat in bread crumbs, and repeat again. Prepare hot oil in a pan or a deep fryer (I like using a deep fryer). Fry until golden brown (only fry a few at a time). serve with ranch dip!

Ingredients: Ranch Dip

mayonnaise
sour cream
onions
parsley
onion powder
salt
paprika
garlic
pepper
Mix 1 3/4c Mayo and 2c sour cream with herbs (other ingredients) about 1/1.

Ingredients: Ranch dressing


15 saltine crackers
2c dry minced parsley flakes
1/2 c dry minced onion
2 tbsp dry dill weed
1/4 c onion salt
1/4 c garlic salt
1/4 c onion powder
1/4 c garlic powder
Mix

1 tbsp mix
1c mayonnaise
1c buttermilk
Put crackers in blender on high speed until powder. Add parsley, onions, dill weed and blend. Stir in onion, salt, garlic salt, onion powder, and garlic powder. Put in a container and store in fridge to stand (best if you prepare in advance)

I love ranch dressing/dip, both are great..sorry I don't have exact specifications

Sprinkle grated cheese on roast beef salad and stuff into pita pocket. Serve with fried zucchini and ranch dip or dressing.

Enjoy!