easy | Good Dinner Mrs Mellen

Tag: easy
- Guacamole
  
  Posted at 4:36 pm by Good Dinner Mrs Mellen
  
  Feb 3rd
  Making Guacamole is so easy resulting in a fresh delicious homemade rather than a packaged version. I keep the ingredients on hand so when friends drop by I can serve Guacamole.
  
  3 Haas avocados, halved, seeded and peeled
  
  1 lime, juiced
  
  1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
  
  1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
  
  1/2 teaspoon cayenne
  
  1/2 medium onion, diced
  
  1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and minced
  
  2 Roma tomatoes, seeded and diced
  
  1 tablespoon chopped cilantro
  
  2 clove garlic, minced
  
  In a large bowl place the scooped avocado pulp and lime juice, toss to coat. Drain, and reserve the lime juice, after all of the avocados have been coated. Using a potato masher add the salt, cumin, and cayenne and mash. Then, fold in the onions, tomatoes, cilantro, and garlic. Add 1 tablespoon of the reserved lime juice. Let sit at room temperature for 1 hour and then serve.
  
  Enjoy!
  
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  Posted in Appetizer, Easy recipes | Tagged easy, guacomole, super bowel food
- The Best Blueberry Pancakes
  
  Posted at 10:57 am by Good Dinner Mrs Mellen
  
  Jan 21st
  Pancakes and blueberries; sunshine meets the earth: My favorite pancake combination. Making pancake batter, not using a mix is so easy and quick. I like to make my own batter for freshness and also I can control salt and sugar in my diet. I have also added a vegan option which taste just as delicious.
  
  2 large eggs
  
  1 1/4 cup milk*
  
  3 tablespoon melted butter or vegetable oil*
  
  1 1/2 cup King Arthur unbleached flour
  
  3/4 teaspoon salt
  
  2 teaspoon baking powder
  
  2 tablespoon sugar
  
  Blueberries
  
  Beat the eggs and milk until light and foamy, about 3 minutes at high speed of a stand or hand mixer. Stir in the butter or vegetable oil.
  
  Whisk the dry ingredients together to evenly distribute the salt, baking powder and sugar.
  
  Gently and quickly mix into the egg and milk mixture. Let the batter rest for at least 15 minutes; it”ll thicken slightly.
  
  Heat a heavy frying pan over medium heat, or set an electric griddle to 375°F. Lightly grease frying pan or griddle. The pan or griddle is ready if a drop of water will skitter across the surface, evaporating immediately.
  
  Drop 1/4 cup of batter onto the lightly greased griddle. Bake on one side until bubbles begin to form and break, about 2 minutes; add blueberries, then turn the pancakes and cook the other side until brown, about 1 1/2 to 2 minutes. Turn over only once. Serve immediately.
  
  Yield: 1 dozen large (4 1/2″) pancakes
  
  *For a vegan variation substitute vegetable oil for butter and almond milk for cow’s milk.
  
  Enjoy!
  
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  Posted in Breadfast, Easy recipes, Food, vegan | Tagged blueberry pancakes, Breakfast, easy, quick, vegan option
- BUTTERNUT SQUASH AND APPLE SOUP
  
  Posted at 9:50 am by Good Dinner Mrs Mellen
  
  Dec 22nd
  A good bowel of hot soup on a cold winter day, what better way celebrate the Winter Solstice. Add a crisp salad, fresh bread and a glass of wine perfect for celebrating the changing rotation of the earth. I always felt there was something mystical about a solstice reminding me four times a year that the earth and life are transient, ever changing and by embracing this fact life is perfectly imperfect.
  
  My recipe for Butternut Squash soup with a touch of apple captures the essence of the winter season with just a touch of aromatic spices that don’t overpower the squash and apple. I use store purchased cut and cleaned butternut squash when I make a small batch of soup; making the work and clean up easier.
  
  INGREDIENTS
  - 1 medium yellow onion, chopped (about 1 cup)
  - 1 celery rib, chopped (about 3/4 cup)
  - 1 carrot, chopped (about 3/4 cup)
  - 2 Tbsp butter
  - 1 package(20 oz.) butternut squash
  - 1 tart granny smith apple, peeled, cored, chopped
  - 3 cups vegetable broth
  - 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
  - 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
  - 1/8 cayenne
  - salt and pepper to taste
  1. Heat a large thick-bottomed pot on medium-high heat. Melt the butter in the pot and let it foam up and recede. Add the onion, carrot, and celery and sauté for 5 minutes. Lower the heat if the vegetables begin to brown.
  
  2. Add the butternut squash, apple, and broth Bring to boil. Reduce to a simmer, cover, and simmer for 30 minutes or so, until the squash and carrots have softened.
  
  3. Use an immersion blender to purée the soup, or work in batches and purée the soup in a standing blender.
  
  4. Add cinnamon, nutmeg and cayenne. Add salt and pepper to taste.
  
  Enjoy!
  
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  Posted in Apples, cooking, Food, Good Dinner Mrs Mellen, Healthy, Soup, Vegetarian, Weeknight dinner | Tagged Apple, butternut squash, easy, Soup, vegetarian, winter solstice
- Sandies
  
  Posted at 12:23 pm by Good Dinner Mrs Mellen
  
  Dec 18th
  My love of baking started when I helped my Mother bake cookies at Christmas time. Since then I’ve never stopped baking cookies for Christmas. Baking isn’t very hard and I am always amazed when I hear people say I don’t like to bake. What’s not to like, sugar, butter, chocolate, all those wonderful ingredients in one place. Baking is very precise, you need to measure the correct amount of ingredients and follow the recipe especially if you’re a beginner. Once you get some experience with baking you can add your personality. Christmas cookies make wonderful personal gifts to share with family and friends. And so many beautiful boxes, bags, tins can be used as containers for your cookies gifts.
  
  A few tips that will help novice bakers. Read all the recipe through before you start and assemble everything that you need. Do any preparation before you start, if the recipe calls for chopped nuts, chop and set aside, eggs separated, same thing. This will make the flow of baking so much easier. Only use unsalted butter. I love Cabot, it’s made in Vermont by the cheddar people, I’m not sure if this butter is available outside of New England. The first time you try a recipe always bake for less time than the recipe calls for and then add additional minutes if needed. Unless your oven is calibrated perfectly and even then, ovens do bake differently. Nothing is worse than over baked cookies, cakes etc. Dry is not good!
  
  At Christmas I just start baking cookies and stop when I don’t have any more time left. I have so many recipes and cookie cookbooks and I keep buying more, I just can’t help myself. I try out one or two new cookies each year to see if I can find another favorite for my holiday tradition. The two recipes that I have included below are some of the first cookies that I make with my mother. These cookies are very basic and easy to make. Out of tradition I make them every year and I want to share them with you.
  
  Sandies – These are wonderful cookies to make a few weeks ahead of time because they keep very well.
  
  1 cup butter
  
  1/3 cup sugar
  
  2 teaspoons vanilla
  
  2 teaspoons water
  
  2 cups flour
  
  1 cup chopped pecans
  
  1 cup confectionery sugar- for rolling cookies after baking
  
  Cream butter, sugar, vanilla and water. Add flour and mix well. Stir in pecans. Shape into small balls. Bake on ungreased cookie sheet in 325 F over for 20 minutes. Remove. Cool slightly . Roll in confectionery sugar
  
  An easy way to do this is put sugar in plastic bag and add 3-4 cookies and gently shake around to coat cookies. Or you can put sugar in a bowl and roll around to coat.
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  Posted in Baking, Christmas, Christmas Recipes, cookies, Dessert, desserts, Food, Good Dinner Mrs Mellen | Tagged Christmas cookies, easy, pecans
- Peanut Butter Blossoms
  
  Posted at 11:25 am by Good Dinner Mrs Mellen
  
  Dec 16th
  My love affair with making Christmas Cookies started when I was a little girl helping my mother bake cookies at Christmas. We made large quantities of my mother’s favorite recipes. To this day I have continued the tradition of baking, baking and more baking of delectable cookies. Today I made a favorite cookie of my children when they were little. Peanut Blossoms are a fun cookie topped with a chocolate kiss. Who does love a peanut butter cookie with a chocolate kiss in the center. I love the taste of peanut butter meeting chocolate. I’ve tried different versions of this cookie but always return to the Hershey’s original recipe that I made so long ago.
  
  1 3/4 cups flour
  
  1/2 cup sugar
  
  1/2 cup brown sugar
  
  1 teaspoon baking soda
  
  1/2 teaspoon salt
  
  1/2 cup solid vegetable shortening
  
  1/2 cup peanut butter
  
  2 tablespoons milk
  
  1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  
  1 egg
  
  48 chocolate kisses, unwrapped
  
  Pre heat oven to 325 F. In large bowl mix beat shortening and peanut butter. Add sugars mixing until light and fluffy. Add egg, milk and vanilla; beat well. In a medium bowl combine flour, baking soda and salt. Gradually beat flour mixture into peanut butter until all the ingredients until combined and dough forms. Shape a teaspoonful of dough into balls. Roll balls in additional sugar(1/2 cup). Place on cookie sheet. Bake 10-12 minutes until golden. Remove cookies from oven and immediately top each cookie with a kiss, pressing down so the cookie cracks slightly around edges of kiss. Cool for 10 minutes. Remove from baking sheet letting cool completely.
  
  Makes 48.
  
  Enjoy!
  
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  Posted in Baking, Baking, Christmas Recipes, cookies, Dessert, desserts, Food, Good Dinner Mrs Mellen | Tagged Christmas cookies, easy, Hershey Kisses, peanut butter
- Monte Crisco Breakfast Casserole
  
  Posted at 9:39 pm by Good Dinner Mrs Mellen
  
  Dec 15th
  Ingredients
  
  2 1/2 cups milk
  8 eggs
  1/2 teaspoon salt
  1/4teaspoon ground black pepper
  
  1 teaspoon dry mustard
  1 1 pound round loaf country Italian bread, cut into ten 1/2-inch thick slices
  1/4 cup seedless raspberry jam
  8 ounces thinly sliced cooked ham
  8 ounces thinly slice Swiss cheese
  
  1/2 cup shredded Swiss cheese
  
  1/4 cup butter, soften
  
  Directions
  - Grease a 3-quart baking dish. In a large bowl whisk together milk, eggs, 1/2 teaspoon salt,1/4 teaspoon black pepper and mustard.
  - Spread half the bread slices with jam, then top with ham and cheese. Spread remaining bread slices with butter then place buttered sides down on cheese. Cut each sandwich diagonally into four triangles. Arrange points up in prepared baking dish. Pour egg mixture over sandwiches. Sprinkle with remaining cheese. Cover; chill overnight.
  - Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Uncover dish. Bake 35 minutes or until golden and egg mixture is set. Remove. Let cool 10 minutes. Sprinkle with powdered sugar.
  To dry bread, preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Arrange slices on baking sheet, overlapping as necessary. Bake for 10 to 15 minutes or until dry; cool.
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  Posted in Breakfast, Casserole, Christmas, Christmas Recipes, Easy recipes | Tagged Breakfast casserole, Christmas morning, easy, eggs, ham & cheese, Make ahead
- CRANBERRY SAUCE WITH ORANGES AND GRAND MARNIER
  
  Posted at 9:31 am by Good Dinner Mrs Mellen
  
  Nov 19th
  Massachusetts, abundant in cranberries bogs, produces glorious fresh cranberries which are harvested in the fall coming to market just in time for Thanksgiving. You can get frozen cranberries all year long a wonderful alternative when fresh are out of season. I just love fresh cranberries and I buy copious quantities for making naturally fresh cranberry sauce along with breads, cakes, stuffing and with roasted vegetables. You could say I go cranberry crazy this time of year. And you have to be quick since fresh cranberries are gone from market right after the new year. As you might have guessed homemade cranberry sauce is a must, a favorite accompaniment to our Thanksgiving dinner. Each year I tweak the ingriendants for a different sauce; sometimes I add pecans for a crunch texture or lemons for a tangy sauce, this year I made cranberry sauce with chopped oranges. I like my cranberry sauce spirited adding a little liqueur; to this recipe I added Grand Marnier; a french orange liqueur. If your interested in reading more about cranberries and blogs their natural growing habitat click on this link. https://science.howstuffworks.com/life/botany/cranberry-bogs1.htm
  
  CRANBERRY SAUCE WITH ORANGES AND GRAND MARNIER
  
  INGRIEDIENTS
  
  1 medium navel orange, seeds removed, chopped
  
  1 lb. fresh (or frozen) cranberries
  
  1/2 cup sugar
  
  2 Tbsp. unsalted butter
  
  1 3″-long cinnamon stick
  
  ½ tsp. ground allspice
  
  Pinch of kosher salt
  
  2 tablespoon Grand Marnier
  
  RECIPE PREPARATION
  
  Place orange in a large saucepan and pour in cold water to come 1″ up sides of pan. Bring to a boil, then remove immediately from heat and drain orange in a mesh sieve or colander. Rinse under cold water; return to saucepan. Add cranberries, sugar, butter, cinnamon, allspice, and salt and bring to a boil, stirring to dissolve sugar. Reduce heat cook stirring often until cranberries burst, juices are syrupy, for about 9-12 minutes. Stir in Grand Marnier simmer for another two minuets. Remove cinnamon stick. and discard.
  
  DO AHEAD: Sauce can be made 1 week ahead. Cover and chill.
  
  Enjoy!
  
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  Posted in Side dish, Thanksgiving, vegan, Vegetarian | Tagged cranberry sauce, easy, Grand Marnier, Make ahead, oranges, Thanksgiving
- Chocolate Mousse Cake
  
  Posted at 5:15 pm by Good Dinner Mrs Mellen
  
  Nov 16th
  Following my blog you know that I love to bake! I baked my first cake from scratch when I was a young girl and my love of baking continues all these years later. If you have never baked a cake especially for a birthday I highly recommend you do it at least once. It is so rewarding to see the look on the recipient’s face when you put a beautiful homemade cake with candles right in front of them. I think everyone needs a great chocolate cake for birthdays and this cake has a present inside, a rich, smooth, peanut butter mousse filling. Coffee adds extra flavor to the chocolate cake rather than using plain water. If you make this cake I’d love to see photos and hear from you!
  
  Ingredients
  
  2 3/4 cups flour- I like King Arthur’s Flour
  
  2 teaspoons baking power
  
  1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  
  6 tablespoons butter, at room temperature
  
  6 tablespoons vegetable oil
  
  2 cups sugar
  
  3/4 cup Dutch-process cocoa
  
  1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  
  4 large eggs
  
  1 1/2 cups strong coffee
  
  Mousse
  
  1 (10-ounce) package peanut butter
  
  3 cups whipping cream
  
  2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  
  2 tablespoon butter
  
  1 1/2 cup semi sweet chocolate morsels
  
  INSTRUCTIONS
  
  Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease and flour two 8″ round cake pans.
  
  Sift in a small bowel four, baking power and baking soda. Set aside.
  
  Beat together the butter, oil, sugar, cocoa, and vanilla extract until they form a smooth paste. The sugar will stay granular.
  
  Add the eggs one at a time, beating well and scraping the bottom of the bowl after each addition.
  
  Add the flour alternately with the water, mixing at medium-low speed and beginning and ending with the flour. Once the last of the flour is added, mix briefly, just until smooth.
  
  Divide the batter between the pans. Cakes will self-level in the oven, so there’s no need to smooth the top with a spatula. However, it does help to remove any large bubbles by tapping the cake pans firmly on the counter 7 or 8 times.
  
  Bake the cakes for 35 to 40 minutes, until their tops spring back and a cake tester inserted into the center of one comes out clean.
  
  Cool in the pan for 5 minutes, run a spatula around the edges to loosen, and turn out onto a rack to cool completely.
  
  Combine 2/3 cup whipping cream and peanut butter morsels in a small saucepan. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until morsels melt and mixture is smooth; remove saucepan from heat. Stir in vanilla extract, and cool 25 minutes.
  
  Beat 1 1/3 cups whipping cream at high speed with an electric mixer until soft peaks form. Stir one-third whipped cream into peanut butter mixture. Fold into remaining whipped cream. Cover and chill for 2-3 hours or until mousse is firm. Spread between cake layers then cover and chill. You can make the cake the day ahead.
  
  Bring remaining 1 cup whipping cream and 2 tablespoon butter to a boil in a small saucepan. Add chocolate morsels; remove from heat, and let stand 5 minutes. Stir until morsels melt and mixture is smooth.
  
  Pour glaze over cake; garnish, if desired. Serve warm, or chill and serve at room temperature.
  
  Enjoy!
  
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  Posted in Cake | Tagged Birthday Cake, chocolate cake, easy, King Arthur's Flour
- Quick and Easy Pasta Fagioli
  
  Posted at 1:31 pm by Good Dinner Mrs Mellen
  
  Oct 13th
  Traditional Pasta Fagioli is made with a pork product such as pancetta, ham or pigs feet(old time Italian) but growing up my mother always made meatless Pasta Fagioli on Fridays. I have fond memories of eating Pasta Fagioli on crisp fall nights before rushing off to a Friday night football game. Over the years I have added my own touches to my mother’s Pasta Fagioli to make it an easy totally vegetarian meal.
  
  Pasta Fagioli
  
  1 cup chopped shallots
  
  3 cloves garlic, crushed
  
  2 tablespoon olive oil
  
  3/4 cup dry white wine
  
  2 (16 oz) cans vegetarian baked beans, Bushes
  
  1 can (8 oz) no salt Tomato Sauce Hunts
  
  1 can (15.5 oz) Garbanzo beans, rinsed and drained, Goya
  
  1 can (14 oz) vegetable broth
  
  1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
  
  1 cup dried ditali pasta
  
  1/4 cup snipped fresh basil or 1 tablespoon dried basil
  
  1 tablespoon snipped fresh oregano or 1 teaspoon dried oregano
  
  1. In large pot cook shallots, garlic and olive over medium heat for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
  
  2. Sir in wine, baked beans, garbanzo beans, vegetable broth and crushed red pepper. Bring to a boil: reduce heat. Simmer, covered for 20 minutes.
  
  3. Cook, pasta al dente(firm but not hard), drain. Stir cooked pasta, basil, oregano into bean mixture. Simmer for 5 more minutes. Make 4-6 servings. Serve with fresh graded Parmesan cheese on top.
  
  Enjoy!
  
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  Posted in Good Dinner Mrs Mellen, Hearty Meal, lunch, Main Dish, Stew, Vegetarian | Tagged Beans & macaroni, Bushes bean, easy, Goya beans, Hunts Tomato Sauce, lunch
- Spicy Lentil Chili
  
  Posted at 5:11 pm by Good Dinner Mrs Mellen
  
  Sep 16th
  Spicy Lentil Chili
  
  I love anything that is healthy and taste good. My Vegan Lentil Chili is a perfect example of a good for you tasty meal! I eat this filling yet light chili after a hot power yoga or on a cold snowy day. Combining lentils with chick peas adds protein and fiber to the vegetable mix. I make a batch freezing individual serving for later eating!
  
  2 boxes(32 oz) organic vegetable broth, I like Full Circle organic
  
  1 medium onion, chopped
  
  l large red bell pepper, chopped
  
  1 jalapeno, chopped
  
  1 cup sliced baby carrots
  
  5 cloves garlic, finely chopped
  
  4 teaspoons salt-free chili powder
  
  1 (16 oz) package brown or red lentils, Goya
  
  2 cans(15 oz) cans no salt added diced tomatoes, I like Del Monte petite cut
  
  2 cans (15.5 oz) Chick Peas, I like Goya Premium
  
  1/4 cup chopped cilantro
  
  Bring one cup broth to simmer in a large pot over medium high heat. Add onion, pepper, carrots and garlic cooking about 8 minutes. Stir in chili powder cooking 1 minute, stirring constantly. Add rest of broth and remaining ingredients except cilantro. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium low and simmer covered for 30 minutes until lentils are almost tender. Uncover and cook 10 minutes longer. Stir in cilantro and serve.
  
  Enjoy!
  
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  Posted in Chili, Good Dinner Mrs Mellen, Healthy, light dinner, lunch, Main Dish, Main Meal, vegan, Vegetarian, Weeknight dinner | Tagged Chili, easy, Full Circle broth, Goya, Healthy, lentil, light dinner
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