Day 97: Meatballs with Cream Sauce

Boy, does it feel good to sleep in. Spring break couldn't have come at a better time! I'm usually up at 5 am to start getting kids to the bus on time, so this is a nice change! Have I ever mentioned that I love meatballs? I don't know what it is about bite sized ball of meat with sauce or gravy that is so good. I probably have about a dozen recipes for them. This is one of my favorites. I found it in a Taste of Home magazine years ago.

Meatballs with Cream Sauce

14" dutch oven

1 egg, lightly beaten

1/4 cup milk

2 Tbs. ketchup

1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce

3/4 cup quick oats

1/4 cup finely chopped onion

1/4 cup minced fresh parsley (I used 2 Tbs. dried)

1 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. pepper

1 1/2 lbs. lean ground beef

1/4 cup flour

Cream Sauce:

2 Tbs. butter

3 1/2 Tbs. flour

1/4 tsp. dried thyme

1/4 tsp. salt

1/8 tsp. pepper

14 oz. chicken broth

2-3 cup milk

2 Tbs. minced fresh parsley

In a bowl, combine all the meatball ingredients except the beef and flour. Add the beef and mix well. Shape into balls. Roll in flour, shaking off excess. Place in your DO and bake at 400* for 10 minutes. Turn meatballs and bake 8-10 minutes more or until no longer pink. I used 24 coals on top and 12 on the bottom.

For the sauce, use an 8" or 10" dutch oven, melt the butter and stir in the flour, thyme, salt and pepper until smooth. Gradually add the broth and milk; bring to a boil. Cook and stir 2 minutes, until slightly thickened.

Drain the meatballs on paper towels; transfer to a serving dish. Top with sauce. Serve over rice or noodles.

The Finished Product

The Review

I loved these! Most meatballs have some sort of BBQ sauce on them, and I loved the light cream sauce. I also love that these are baked and not fried. I have baked all my meatballs for years, it is just so much easier than frying. They were tender and had great flavor. Even my 2 year old at 4 of them. These are always on our winter menus. These get a B+.

Day 71: Apple Crisp

It is treat time at my house again. My kids are always so hungry after school, and they hate having the same old snacks every day. I try to have semi-nutritious snacks at home, but sometimes I have to justify all the sugar by saying "its healthy, there's apples in there!" They were really excited to come home and smell this as they walked past the door. I don't really like to bake. I love to cook meals, but I'm not a baker, so when I do bake my kids are in heaven!

Apple Crisp

12" dutch oven

6 cups apples, peeled and sliced
1 tsp. lemon juice

2 Tbs. water
1/4 cup sugar

3/4 cup packed brown sugar

1/3 cup flour
1/2 cup oatmeal

1/8 tsp. salt

1 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 cup butter

Combine apples, lemon juice and water. Arrange in your DO. Sprinkle apples with sugar. In a bowl, combine brown sugar, flour, oatmeal, salt, cinnamon and mix well. Sprinkle mixture over apples and dot with butter. Bake at 375 for 30-40 minutes. I used 18 coals on top and 9 on the bottom. Serves 6.

The Finished Product

The Review

This was pretty good. I liked the topping and I wish there was more of it. It also needed more apples, or a smaller DO, maybe a 10". We all ate it and enjoyed it, but I know there are better apple crisp recipes out there. I probably won't make this one again for that reason. It was good, but I know I can find better. Grade: B-.

Day 66: S'mores Bars

If you haven't noticed, I am trying to keep treats to a minimum. I really don't need the calories. Having 7 children has wreaked enough havoc on my body, I don't need to give chocolate a turn as well! But there are some combinations that I just can't resist. Chocolate and peanut butter is one, and chocolate, graham crackers and marshmallow is another. I love s'mores, I mean really, who doesn't? So when I found this recipe on one of the food blogs I frequent, I knew I needed to give it a try. This recipe comes from Rookie Cookie.

S'mores Bars

10" dutch oven

1/2 cup butter, softened

3/4 cup sugar

1 large egg

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1 1/3 cups flour

3/4 cup graham cracker crumbs (about 6 crackers)

1 tsp. baking powder

1/4 tsp. salt

4 1.5 oz milk chocolate bars (I used 6 oz. milk chocolate chips)

1 cup marshmallow cream

In a medium bowl, combine flour, graham crackers, baking powder and salt. Whisk to combine and set aside.

In a large bowl, combine butter and sugar. Beat until light and creamy. Add the egg and vanilla and beat until smooth. Add the dry ingredients and mix until combined. Press half the dough into the bottom of your oiled DO. Put the chocolate bars on top of the dough, breaking them to make them fit. Spread marshmallow cream over the top of the chocolate. Gently press the other half of the dough on top of the marshmallow cream. Bake at 350* for 30-35 minutes or until the top is golden brown. I used 8 coals on the bottom and 12 on top. Let cool 10 minutes before cutting.

The Finished Product

The Review

These were pretty good, but I was just a little disappointed. I was hoping there would be a layer of marshmallow, but it all seemed to get absorbed into the dough. When I make these again, I will use mini marshmallows instead of the marshmallow cream, and I will also use chocolate bars instead of chocolate chips. The idea behind these is really good, the results just weren't what I hoped for. I know they can be better with just a few changes. I did like the graham crackers in the dough, that was really nice. I also liked making a peanut butter and marshmallow cream sandwich with the leftover marshmallow cream. What can I say, it's a throwback from my childhood! As is, I will give this recipe a B...for now.

Day 63: Sweet and Sour Chicken over Rice

When I got home from running a million errands yesterday, I had a surprise sitting on my porch. No, it wasn't the prize patrol (don't we all wish), it was my new dutch oven camp table. Hooray! No more cooking on the ground! I opened it up to see how many DOs I could fit on it. The answer is 3; 1-14" and 2-10" ovens. That is an entire meal on one table. I searched the Internet for the best price and I found it here. It is lightweight and portable, and has side shelves that are sold separately. For me, it is a must have. But like I've said before, you don't need anything like this to cook DO. A 16" paver from Home Depot will do! I wouldn't recommend heating coals in your chimney right next to your cooking food. I put it there so you could see the size. :)

Okay, recipe time. I have several recipes for Sweet and Sour Chicken, most of them I've never tried. This is one of those. My oldest son loves this stuff, so I had to make extra for him. I also cooked some rice in my DO. It is so easy to do. I've done it several times, but never posted it until now.

Sweet and Sour Chicken

12" Dutch Oven

3 lbs. boneless skinless chicken breasts or tenders

1 tsp. garlic powder

1/2 tsp. pepper

3/4 cup flour

2 eggs

Sauce:

3/4 cup sugar

1/2 cup chicken broth

1/2 cup vinegar

1 Tbs. soy sauce

3 1/2 Tbs. ketchup

Mix the flour, garlic powder and pepper in a bowl. In another bowl, lightly beat the eggs. I also cut up my chicken breasts into strips. Dip the chicken into the egg, then roll in flour. Place in your oiled DO and fry until golden brown on both sides. I used 18 coals for this. While the chicken is cooking, mix together the sauce. When chicken is browned, add the sauce. Bake at 350* for 1 hour or until the sauce thickens. I used 10 coals on the bottom and 14 on top.

White Rice

10" dutch oven

1 cup long grain white rice

2 cups water

1/2 tsp. salt, optional

1 Tbs. butter, optional

Boil the water with the salt and butter in your DO. I used 15 coals. Stir in the rice. Remove about half the coals. You want it to cook over low heat. Cover and cook 15-18 minutes or until the rice is tender.

The Finished Product

I started out with too much heat, so the breading pulled off my chicken.

Perfectly cooked DO rice!

The Review

This recipe was just okay. It had good flavor, but the sauce never thickened like the recipe said it should. We all ate and enjoyed it, we just like a thicker sauce. I had to double the sauce because it needed more. Maybe if it was thickened with some cornstarch it would be better. I have better recipes for this, so I probably won't use this one again. Grade: B-.

Day 62: Saucy Hamburgers over Rice

My hubby is taking my boys camping in a few weeks, so I have been teaching him the basics of DO cooking. We are experimenting with some easy, but still hot and hearty dishes. Since it will only be in the 30's at night they want some warm, comfort type foods. I've had variations of this recipe, but this one can be at least partially prepared ahead of time by mixing the meat and veggies. It's fun to watch them learn to DO. They make all the same mistakes I made. Things like setting out the coals too early, forgetting how many to use, and not keeping an eye on things. But now I can just laugh with them instead of getting frustrated because I know what they are going through. Watching them is also hilarious because not one of them can cook! I really need to get some of it on video!

Sauce Hamburgers over Rice

12" dutch oven

1 lb. ground beef

1 large carrot, shredded

1 medium potato, shredded

salt and pepper to taste

1 can cream of chicken soup

1/2 cup milk

1 envelope onion soup mix

Mix the ground beef, carrot, potato, salt and pepper and shape into patties. Put them in your DO and brown them on both sides. I used 22 coals for this. When they are browned, drain any grease. I used 93% lean beef and there wasn't any. Mix the soup, milk and onion soup mix. Pour over the meat patties. Bake at 350* for 30-40 minutes or until the meat is cooked through. Use 10 coals on the bottom and 14 on top. Serve over rice. Serves 4-6.

The Finished Product

Trust me--it tastes better than it looks!

The Review

This was pretty good. For and easy camping meal by a hubby who doesn't know how to cook, I think it turned out great! Definitely serve it over rice, which is super easy in the DO. For camping I will prepare the meat ahead of time and then they can shape and cook it. It will be so much better than tinfoil dinners. I'm not sure how to grade this one. In my kitchen it would be just okay, maybe a B-, but for camping I have to give it a higher grade just because it is easy and hearty, probably a B+.

Day 59: Spaghetti a la Philly

Whew! This weekend has been one of those where life gets in the way! Every weekend seems to be that way lately. Good thing I have learned to plan ahead! The hubby and I finally got to go out for Valentine's Day, albeit a few weeks late. We went to my favorite Japanese steakhouse in Provo called Tepanyaki. It is one of those places where you get dinner and a show. I love watching them prepare the food right in front me and unfortunately, I missed the shrimp that they tried to flip into my mouth. However, the fillet Mignon melted in my mouth and made everything okay! On those rare nights that we get out without the kids, spaghetti is my go to meal for the little munchkins. It is quick and easy to prepare, and they love it. I found this variation of the traditional spaghetti at Real Mom Kitchen. We even had some of yesterday's rolls leftover so that was good. I have never thought of adding cream cheese to spaghetti before. Quite frankly, I thought it would be just weird. But it worked! So here goes...

Spaghetti a la Philly

10" dutch oven

1 lb. ground beef

1 small onion, chopped

1 clove garlic, minced

1 jar of your favorite spaghetti sauce

2-4 ounces cream cheese

12 oz. uncooked spaghetti

Parmesan cheese

In your DO, over about 15-18 coals, brown the beef, onion and garlic. Drain any grease and add the spaghetti sauce and cream cheese. Cook until heated through and well combined. Meanwhile, cook the pasta according to package directions. I used a 10" DO on my propane camp stove. You can easily use coals for this, start with 15 or so and add more, if necessary to keep the water boiling. Drain the spaghetti and add it to the sauce. Top with Parmesan cheese. Serves about 6.

The Finished Product

The Review
The cream cheese in this gave it a whole different flavor. It was nice and rich, and gave the sauce a lighter color. I used 2 oz. of cream cheese because I wasn't sure how it would taste and I didn't have time to start over if the kids hated it. But they loved it! I don't think I would use more than 3 oz. though. But that's just me! I still think that for the DO I like the baked versions of spaghetti better. I think there is more DO flavor in them. But this was good, and it will grace our table again. Grade: B+.

Day 58: Make Ahead Spoon Rolls

Yesterday I told you I would take some pictures of where I have been cooking for the last 2 months. I'm sure the anticipation has been killing you. Trust me, it really is pretty primitive. But then DO cooking is too! I started this whole project with very little in the way of equipment, and I haven't had too much trouble getting good results. You don't need anything fancy. It is more convenient to have your pots up off the ground, but it isn't necessary. I am really looking forward to getting my cook table next week. It will make cooking a lot easier. But don't wait to learn to use your pots just because you don't have "the equipment". Honestly, dutch ovens, charcoal, lid lifter, metal tongs and aluminum foil will get you started. So no more excuses!

Today's recipe was really easy and fun! These rolls would take the place of bread sticks with just about any dish. I found this at Real Mom Kitchen.

Make Ahead Spoon Rolls

DO size depends on how many you make

1 envelope active dry yeast

1 tsp. sugar

2 cups warm water

4 cups self-rising flour

1/4 cup sugar

3/4 cup butter, melted and cooled

1 egg

2 tsp. Italian seasoning

1/4 tsp. garlic powder

Combine the first 3 ingredients and let them stand 5 minutes. Stir in the remaining ingredients and mix just until moistened. The batter will be thick and sticky. Spoon into greased muffin pans 2/3 full. Bake at 400* for 20 minutes or until golden. I used a 12" DO with 19 coals on top and 10 on the bottom. I preheated my DO for about 8-10 minutes before I put them in. I also used foil cupcake liners and just sat them in the bottom of my DO. Makes about 24.

If you don't have self-rising flour you can use this substitute:

1 1/4 tsp. baking powder

1/8 tsp. salt

Add this for each cup of all purpose flour used.

The Finished Product

The bottoms were a nice golden brown.

What I Learned

Do not use paper muffin cups. I baked some of these indoors as well using the paper liners, and the bottoms came off stuck to the liners. So either use the foil liners or just skip the liners and spray your muffin cups.

The Review

These were really good. They were a cross between a bread and a muffin. They were moist and nicely seasoned. They would make a good alternative to bread sticks. The batter can also be made ahead of time and stored in the fridge for a week! I also loved that the ones cooked in my DO turned out better than the ones I cooked indoors. I will take this recipe camping this summer because it is so easy. I will be making these again! Grade: B+

Day 56: Taco Pizza

Sorry for the late post today. I got up this morning to write today's post, turned on the computer, and nothing happened. I was very nervous! I checked everything twice, and finally figured out that my monitor had died. It was old. A dinosaur by today's standards. At 8 years old, it had lived a full life. So now I finally had a reason to go buy an LCD monitor. A big one! So I am now happily typing on a 22" screen! It feels like Christmas. My old, huge, fat, heavy monitor is gone. Thin is in.

Okay, recipe time. I think old mother Hubbard moved into my house, because all my cupboards are bare. I went through everything I had in the kitchen, and came up with taco pizza. I got the idea from Papa Murphy's Pizza. They had a taco pizza for a while, and it was good! So here goes!
Taco Pizza

14" dutch oven

1 roll refrigerated pizza crust or the crust recipe of your choice

2 cans re fried beans

1 lb. ground beef

1 pkg. taco seasoning

1 small onion, chopped

1/4-1/2 cup water

shredded cheddar or Monterrey jack cheese

sliced olives

chopped tomatoes

lettuce

salsa

ranch dressing

Brown the ground beef and onion in your DO. I used about 20 coals for this. Drain off any grease and add 1 can of re fried beans, taco seasoning and water. Stir well, and add more water if necessary to get the desired consistency. Remove from your DO and keep warm. Unroll the pizza crust and press into your hot DO. Bake at 400* for about 10 minutes. I used 24 coals on top and 12 on the bottom. Remove from heat. Spread the other can of re fried beans over the crust. Spread the meat mixture over the beans. Sprinkle with cheese and olives. Return to the heat and cook for 10 minutes more. Remove from heat and let stand 10 minutes. Top with lettuce, tomatoes, salsa and ranch dressing. Serves 10-12.

The Finished Product

The Review

This was really good. Baking it for a few minutes before putting the toppings on was smart. I learned from the biscuit pizza bake. It did get it a little too brown on the bottom, so when you put it back on the coals after putting on the toppings be sure to move a few from the bottom to the top. Next time, I will mix some green chilies into the bean layer to give it some kick. All my kids loved it! They even had the leftovers for breakfast. Grade B+.

Day 55: Buttery Corn Bread

I got a call from a good friend yesterday. She has been following my blog and had a $64,000 question for me. She asked, "Are you really cooking something in your dutch oven EVERYDAY?" I just laughed, because that is an easy one to answer. I told her "Of course!" I can honestly say that I have cooked something in my DO every day so far. Have I blogged everything I've made? Not yet. Am I a little ahead? Yes. Do I still cook in my DO everyday anyway? Yes. Like I said the other day, it has become habit. It is just the way I cook now. It will be really weird to go back to cooking indoors next year. But don't worry, I won't abandon my DO in 2011. It has been too fun.

Today's recipe is corn bread. I really wish I had known how easy it is to make in the DO, because I would have tried it before biscuits. Seriously, all my fellow newbies out there, start with corn bread, not biscuits. This was a breeze. I did preheat my lid for about 5-8 minutes to get in nice and hot. After that, it was really easy to cook. We don't have corn bread very often because my hubby doesn't like it. But he is working nights for the next few months, so we get to eat whatever we want. I have yet to find the perfect cornbread recipe, but this is probably the best one I have tried yet.

Buttery Corn Bread

12" dutch oven

2/3 cup butter or margarine, softened (use butter, trust me)

1 cup sugar

3 eggs

1 2/3 cup milk

2 1/3 cups flour

2 1/3 cups corn meal

4 1/2 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. salt

In a mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar. Combine the eggs and milk. Combine flour, cornmeal, baking powder and salt; add to creamed mixture alternately with egg mixture. Pour in to your oiled DO. Bake at 400* for 22-27 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. I used 19 coals on top and 10 on the bottom. I took it off the bottom coals about 20 minutes into cooking and just used the top heat to finish cooking. 12-15 servings.

The Finished Product

The bottom was perfect!

Top View!

What I Learned

Corn bread is a piece of cake. So much easier than biscuits. I really don't know why, though. Maybe I am just getting better at all this, or maybe it is because I didn't stress over it. Who knows! But this worked well.

The Review

I really liked this cornbread. It was nice and moist and didn't crumble apart like some corn breads do. It was also nice and buttery. I think it is my favorite corn bread recipe...for now. The leftovers seemed to stay pretty moist too. This makes a lot, so if you aren't feeding an army like I am, you will want to cut it in half. Grade: B+, only because I know there is an even better recipe out there somewhere!

Day 52: Chili-Cheese Rice Frittata

Happy Sunday everyone! Or in my case happy snow-day! We woke up to 3" of the white stuff and we were running late for church this morning. Running late and bad roads are not a good combination! Needless to say, we were late as usual. I hope we get brownie points in heaven for trying! :)

Okay, today's recipe is a breakfast recipe. It is a little different than most frittatas I have had. They have usually used pasta and veggies. But I really liked the rice in this. So here goes!

Chili-Cheese Rice Frittata

10" dutch oven

1 medium green pepper, julienned (I chopped mine)

1 medium red onion, chopped

1/2 cup sliced green onion

1 Tbs. butter or margarine

1 1/2 cups cooked rice

1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

1 medium tomato, chopped

1 4 oz. can chopped green chilies

5 eggs

1/3 cups milk

1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce

1/2 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. hot pepper sauce

Salsa

In your dutch oven, saute the onions and peppers in butter. I used 12 coals for this. Remove from the heat; stir in the rice, cheese, tomato and chilies. In a bowl, combine the eggs, milk, Worcestershire sauce, salt and hot pepper sauce. Stir into the rice mixture.

Bake uncovered at 350* for 20-25 minutes or until a knife inserted near the center comes out clean. I used 8 coals on the bottom and 12 on top. Halfway through cooking I moved 3 coals from the bottom to the top so the bottom wouldn't burn. Serves 4-6.

The Finished Product

What I Learned

When cooking any dish that has a large number of eggs in it, it is a good idea to move a few of the coals from the bottom to the top part way through cooking. It keeps the bottom from burning. The last breakfast I did burned on the bottom. Live and learn!

The Review

I really liked this. I liked the onions and the fresh tomatoes the most. The rice was nice and gave it some substance. My kids on the other hand, did not like it at all. The peppers and onions pushed the limit of their "barf-o-meter". Not one of them would touch it. Oh well, their loss is my gain--I get the leftovers! I'll give this one a B+.

Day 51: Southwestern Spaghetti

Today is the big day to announce the winner of the WCC cookbook. The winner was drawn at random from everyone who commented on Wednesday's post. Could I have a drum roll please....And the winner is....Will Shattuck!! Will shared his recipe for Blueberry Dump Cake. His recipe will be making an appearance here very soon! Thanks to everyone who commented. It was fun to read them, and I will try to use each recipe that was posted. Will, if you will just email me with your address (the link is on the right), I will get that out to you!

Before I give you the recipe today, I have to show you what it looked like when I went outside to cook! I don't know if you can see all the snowflakes. It was really cool, especially since we haven't had much snow this winter, just a lot of cold!

On to today's recipe! Friday nights are busy at my house. My hubby works and I just started taking Dave Ramsey's Financial Peace University class every Friday night. So I have to make quick meals that my kids will like. Recipes like that can be hard to find, but this one went over pretty well.

Southwestern Spaghetti

10" dutch oven

12 oz. uncooked spaghetti

1 1/2 lbs. ground beef

1 small onion, chopped

1 envelope taco seasoning

1 jar spaghetti sauce

1 4 1/2 oz. jar mushrooms, drained (I left these out)

1 2 1/4 oz. can sliced olives, drained

2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

Shredded lettuce, diced tomatoes, sour cream and salsa

Cook the spaghetti according to package directions. I cheated and cooked the spaghetti inside because of the snow. Meanwhile, in your DO cook the beef and onion until meat is no longer pink; drain if necessary. I used about 15 coals for this. Stir in the taco seasoning, spaghetti sauce, mushrooms and olives. Drain the spaghetti; stir into the beef mixture. Sprinkle with cheese. Bake at 350 for 25-30 minutes, or until heated through. Mine took about 15 minutes. Serve with lettuce, tomatoes, sour cream and salsa. 8 servings.

The Finished Product

The Review

This one won't win any awards, but it was pretty good. The flavor was different, but the taco and spaghetti flavors went together better than I thought they would. My kids loved it. We didn't use any of the garnishments suggested in the recipe. Lettuce on spaghetti is just weird. It would be an easy camping recipe, and would go well with cornbread. I give this one a B.

Day 49: Creamed Green Beans

Good Thursday everyone! It is snowing at my house, and it looks really pretty. It has covered the brown grass with a thin blanket of white, and made everything look clean again.

I hoped everyone has commented on yesterday's post. Remember to tell me about your best DO dish and you could win a copy of the new 2010 World Championship Cook off Cookbook. It looks like a good one! You only have until 10 pm mountain time tomorrow!

I found today's recipe in a Taste of Home cookbook, and I adapted it to fit our tastes. I love green bean casserole, but I prefer to make it from scratch instead of using creamed soups. When I made this, I had problems with the sauce breaking. I ended up lumpy. That seems to be a theme for me lately. So I followed a link left in a comment by Mark at Mark's Black Pot that explained what that means and how to fix it. You can get there from here. So here is the recipe with the changes to keep is smooth and creamy. I am doing this recipe in stages so I can make it understandable.

Creamed Green Beans

10" dutch oven

1/2 cup butter

flour to make a roux (I used just over 1/2 cup)

Melt the butter in your DO. I used about 12 coals for this. Add the flour a little at a time, stirring well until you have a thick paste. You don't want it too stiff. When I quit stirring, the roux would slowly flatten out on its own. Stir and cook it for just a few minutes, then remove from the DO. This will be used to thicken the sauce for the beans, and can also be kept in the fridge to thicken soups and sauces later.

3 Tbs. butter, divided

1/2 cup crushed cornflakes (I used Ritz crackers)

1 tsp. dried minced onion or 1/4 cup chopped onion

1 tsp. sugar

1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper

1 cup sour cream

2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce

4-6 cups French-style green beans, cooked and drained (I just used canned beans, drained them and put them in)

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Melt 1 tbs. butter and mix with the cornflakes; set aside. Melt the remaining 2 Tbs. in your DO. Stir in the onion, sugar, salt and pepper. Cook until the onion is tender. Reduce the heat (I just took away a few coals) and add the sour cream and Worcestershire sauce; stir well and heat through. Now take the roux and add it a little at a time, stirring well until the sour cream/onion mixture is thickened. I used about 1 Tbs. of roux. Fold in the beans and spread in your DO. Sprinkle cheese over the top. Sprinkle with the cornflake mixture. Bake at 400 degrees for 20 minutes or until heated through. I used 17 coals on top and 8 on the bottom. Serves 6-8.

The Finished Product

See how lumpy the sauce is? Looks gross, huh?

The second try is much creamier

The Review
This is really good. The Worcestershire added a nice flavor. I like this much better than using creamed soup. The second attempt with the recipe above turned out creamier. I did have to add a little milk (a Tablespoon or two) to it after I added the beans because I got it a little too thick. As easy as this is, I won't go back to using the cream soups. This one gets a B+.

Day 42: Indian Butter Chicken

Today's recipe is another Indian Dish. I am really intrigued by Indian food. The mix of spices is really unusual but good. Like I said before when I posted the tikka chicken, I have never had Indian food before so I have no way to know how authentic any of these recipes are. I just know that they are good. The butter chicken is mild, without the kick that I've always thought Indian food had. This recipe comes from a Taste of Home magazine, so I'm sure it is pretty Americanized.

Indian Butter Chicken

10" dutch oven

2 Tbs. butter

1 1/2 cups chopped onion

2 tsp. minced garlic

1 Tbs. grated ginger root (I used just a little ground ginger)

1 1/2 tsp. chili powder

3/4 tsp. each ground coriander and ground turmeric

1/2 tsp. each ground cinnamon and ground cumin

1 28 oz. can diced tomatoes, drained

1 1/2 cups chicken broth

1 Tbs. brown sugar

1/4 tsp. each salt and black pepper

2 cups cooked chicken, cut up (rotisserie would work great)

1/3 cup sour cream

1 Tbs. minced fresh cilantro (I didn't have any)

Melt the butter in your DO. I used about 15 coals. Add the onions and garlic. Cook, stirring often until the onions are tender, about 5 minutes. Add the ginger root, chili powder, coriander, turmeric, cinnamon and cumin. Cook 1 minute. Add the drained tomatoes, broth, brown sugar, salt and pepper. Cover and simmer 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. I used 14 coals on the bottom and 7 on top. Stir in the chicken and heat through. Remove from the coals and stir in the sour cream and cilantro. Serve over rice. 5 servings.

The Finished Product

What I Learned

Using DOs is getting a lot easier for me, so unless I make a new discovery, or I am cooking something challenging, I probably won't have anything for this little section.

The Review

This was really good, but I am still acquiring a taste for some of these spices. The turmeric gave it a cool yellow color that my kids really liked. I forgot to drain the tomatoes so mine was too runny as you can see in the pic. The kids liked it and I don't think the leftovers will last very long. Even though it is really easy, this probably isn't something that I will make very often. Not because I don't like it, but because it is really different than what we are used to. That being said, you should try it and see what you think. This recipe probably rates in the B range, I can't quite decide.

Day 38: Herb Rice Pilaf

Just a quick post today--I got out of bed late and I have to hurry! Today's recipe is another great side dish.

Herb Rice Pilaf

10" dutch oven

1 cup uncooked long grain rice

1 cup chopped celery

3/4 cup chopped onion

1/4 cup butter

2 Tbs. parsley

1/2 tsp dried thyme

1/4 tsp. rubbed sage

1/4 tsp. pepper

3 cups water

In your DO cook the rice, celery and onion in butter, stirring constantly until rice is lightly browned. I used 15 coals for that. Stir in remaining ingredients; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer 15 minutes using 14 coals on the bottom and 7 on top. Remove from heat and let stand, covered for 10 minutes. 6 servings.

The Finished Product

What I Learned

This just gets easier every time I do it. This worked like a charm and the DO flavor made this sooo good.

The Review

Here is another dish that was made for the DO. It tasted great, and was really easy. I think 1 cup of celery was too much. Next time I will cut it down to maybe 3/4. Some toasted almonds would also be good in this. Grade: B.

Day 37: Sky High Biscuits

Well, I finally had biscuits turn out right! I don't even know how many times I tried them. I finally figured out how to do them and now I am so sick of biscuits that I never want to make them again! :):) No, really, the secret is preheating the oven. I only preheated the lid, but you could easily heat the oven while you cut out the biscuits and put them in a hot DO. All my other attempts at this recipe would never rise and were flat, but these were nice and fluffy.

Sky High Biscuits

12" dutch oven

2 1/2 cups flour

1 cup whole wheat flour

2 Tbs. sugar

4 1/2 tsp. baking powder

3/4 tsp. cream of tartar

1/2 tsp. salt

3/4 cup cold butter

1 egg

1 cup milk

In a bowl combine the first 6 ingredients. Cut in the butter until crumbly. Combine egg and milk; stir in to crumb mixture just until moistened. Turn onto a floured surface and knead 10-15 times. Roll out 1" thick and cut with a biscuit cutter. Place in your DO and bake at 450 10-15 minutes or until golden brown. I used 22 coals on top and 11 on the bottom. Makes about 1 dozen.

The Finished Product

Look! I didn't even burn the bottom!!


What I Learned

Preheating is very important. I think we all know this, but is true none the less. Next time I will preheat the whole oven before I put them in. When I tried these in my oven at home they got at least 3" high, they were awesome! I think I can at least get close to that height next time I make them. These took about 25 minutes to cook, but I think I can also reduce that by preheating the whole oven. I did take these off the bottom coals about 15 minutes into cooking, and just used top heat to lightly brown the tops.

The Review

These were really good biscuits. They were light and fluffy and had a great soft texture. They were almost as soft as dinner rolls inside. YUM! I love that they have whole wheat flour in them. It makes them seem healthier. I can tell I stirred them a little to much, because they weren't flat on top, but I think I can live with that. :) Of all the biscuit recipes I have tried over the years I like this one the best. For now I will give these a B+, but only because I still have a few kinks to work out with them.

Day 33: Spaghetti Florentine

I was watching Food Network the other day looking for new recipe ideas. On one of the shows, someone created this amazing looking baked potato Florentine, which I am going to try to recreate soon. But it gave me an idea for a DO dish. I know I have seen a spaghetti Florentine recipe somewhere before, so I can't take full credit for this one, but I think it still counts as my creation. Am I right?

Spaghetti Florentine

12" dutch oven

8 oz. uncooked spaghetti

1 lb. ground beef or Italian sausage or a mix of the two

1 medium onion, chopped

1 clove minced garlic

1 jar spaghetti sauce

1 egg, beaten

2 cups cottage cheese

1 10 oz. pkg. frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry

1/4 cup Parmesan cheese

salt and pepper to taste

Italian seasoning

shredded mozzarella

Cook the pasta according to the package directions. Brown the meat with the onions and garlic until no longer pink. Stir in the spaghetti sauce. Simmer about 10 minutes. In a bowl, combine the egg, cottage cheese, spinach, Parmesan cheese, salt and pepper and Italian seasoning. When pasta is cooked, add it to the sauce mixture and pour into your DO. Then spread the spinach mixture over the spaghetti. Top with mozzarella cheese. I baked mine for 45 minutes using 8 coals on the bottom and 16 on top.

The Finished Product

What I learned

It was warmer today, and it showed because I used the same number of coals as usual, but it was too much heat. Next time I will only use 14 coals on top and cook it about 35 minutes, or until the cheese is just lightly browned. The mozzarella was overcooked (as you can tell).

The Review

This was really good if I do say so myself. I'll adjust the cooking temp and time and it will be even better. Some mushrooms would be good, and next time I will add some canned tomatoes (fresh in the summer) to the sauce. The family loved it, even my picky eaters. This is something I will make again, with some adjustments. For now I will give this recipe a B.

Day 30: Middle Eastern Chicken Casserole

I can't believe I have been doing this for a month. Other than it taking a lot of time, it hasn't been to bad--I would even say it has been fun! I have learned a ton! If I only did this on camping trips I would never have learned as much as I have. Consistency has been the key. I get to learn from yesterday's mistakes instead of trying to remember what I did wrong on last year's camping trip.
Many thanks to everyone for your comments on yesterday's biscuit attempt. It is really nice to feel like I am among friends. I have found a few other biscuit recipes that sound good, and I am in the process of trying them, and hopefully they will be successful. I do have one question for all of you out there in cyberspace, how long does it take for your biscuits to cook? The recipes all say 10-15 minutes, but for me it has translated into 30-40 minutes. Is that normal, or am I having more problems that I thought I was? Pipe up everyone--dish out your secrets--I certainly won't have any after all this is over! :)
Today's recipe is one I learned in a Middle Eastern cooking class I took last year. Talk about good food. I am combing the Internet for more recipes. Mediterranean cooking is just amazing. I have even learned to like feta cheese. Don't judge this recipe by the picture--please. The pic is terrible and doesn't do the dish justice. It is definitely worth trying.

Middle Eastern Chicken Casserole

12" dutch oven

4 chicken breasts, cooked and cut up

1 12 oz. pkg. medium egg noodles, drained

2 jars marinated artichoke hearts, drained

Parmesan cheese

1/2 green bell pepper, chopped

2 onions, chopped

1 small jar chopped pimentos, drained

salt and pepper to taste

sauce:

1 cup chicken broth

4 tbs. butter

4 Tbs. flour

1/2 tsp. salt

dash of pepper

4 cups milk

I boiled the chicken in my DO then cooked the noodles in the same water. In your DO saute the onions and green peppers until tender; set aside. I used about 25 coals. In the same DO melt the butter, add the flour to make a roux; stir for one minute. (At this point I would remove some of the coals so the milk doesn't burn.) Add the broth and the milk. Stir until it thickens. This takes about 10 minutes, and it doesn't get really thick. Just cook it until you notice a difference in the consistency. If it gets too thick the whole dish is dry. Mix the noodles, veggies, pimentos, chicken and artichokes together in a bowl. When the sauce is thickened, add the noodle mixture to it and stir well. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Bake for 1 hour. I used 10 coals on the bottom and 16 on top (it was cold outside). You will need to replenish the coals part way through.

The Finished Product

Seriously folks--the pic doesn't do this one justice.

What I Learned

This is the first dish that I have had to worry about replenishing the coals. I know--I'm a chicken. It was easy, I just had to plan ahead and have the coals ready on time. Easy peasy lemon squeezy!

The Review

This was one of those dishes that called for the ingredients to be layered, and I would have done it in my kitchen, but it didn't change the result to mix it all together. I only used about a jar and a half of artichokes because I wasn't sure if my kids would like them. It turns out they did. This was really good. The flavor was unusual, but not weird. This will go into our meal rotation. Grade: B+

Day 28: Baked Ziti

Today's post was supposed to be dutch oven biscuits. However, it was not to be. I mixed up the dough, cut out the biscuits and got ready to bake. I set up the coals with 7 on the bottom and 16 on the top and waited. After about 10 minutes I went to check them, and the coals had gone out. I was MAD! All my anxiety over cooking anything bread like, and the coals go out. I don't know what happened, I did everything exactly the same as always, there was no wind, and it was almost 40 degrees outside. I am not liking Kingsford charcoal right now. So I went online to do some charcoal research. Apparently, Kingsford has changed their formula and it doesn't work as well. According to Kingsford, it burns hotter and longer--I beg to differ. I was mad enough that I ran over to my local Walmart and picked up a bag of Sam's choice charcoal since I am giving Kingsford the silent treatment. Well, guess what? The Sam's choice started just as well, and burned just as long, but it did burn hotter. I didn't have the heat problems that I have had in the past. So today, I am making the 30 mile trek to Home Depot and I am going to experiment with every brand of charcoal they carry. My online research tells me that there are 2 brands that are the ones to try--Royal Oak and Wicked Good. I found Royal Oak lump coals at Walmart, but I am not ready to try those yet so I will try to find their briquettes, and I'm not sure Wicked Good is even available in Utah. I will let you know how my experiments turn out.
On to a happier subject--the recipe. This is just your standard baked ziti recipe. It calls for layering the ingredients, but in the interest of ease and since the result isn't that different, I mixed everything together in my DO and sprinkled the cheese on top. this would be a pretty easy camping recipe, and I think I will take it to Yellowstone this summer.

Baked Ziti

12" dutch oven

1 lb. ground beef

1 cup chopped onion

2 cloves minced garlic

1 jar meatless spaghetti sauce

1 cup chicken broth

1 tsp. oregano

1 16 oz. pkg. ziti pasta, cooked and drained (I used penne)

2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

1 cup grated Parmesan cheese

In your DO brown the beef with the onion and garlic. I used about 25 coals. Drain any grease and stir in the spaghetti sauce chicken broth and oregano. Take away a few coals and simmer for 10 minutes. Mix the pasta 1 1/2 cups mozzarella and 1/2 cup Parmesan into the meat mixture. Stir well. Bake for 20 minutes using 8 coals on the bottom and 16 on top. Sprinkle with remaining cheeses and bake 10 minutes more.

The Finished Product

What I Learned

I learned that there is alot to learn about charcoal. I am going to do some experimenting and see what works best, and I may even have to apologize to Kingsford brand after I try some of the others. I thought it was just me that was the problem with heat, but it may be partly the charcoal. I'll keep you posted.

The Review

This was your average baked ziti recipe. I got distracted and used to much ground beef and didn't add more sauce and broth, so mine was a little dry. If you followed the instructions it would be moist and delicious. It worked really well, and like I said, I will make this when we go camping this summer. Grade: B

Day 27: Quick Chili

One of the things that is a challenge with this little DO project is what to do on busy days. I had a million things to do and I got home late and still had to worry about what to cook. I found the perfect busy day and camping chili. It is almost all canned goods that you just dump in. I had dinner ready in about an hour--start to finish.

Quick Chili

12" dutch oven

1 12 oz. can kidney beans

1 12 oz. can pinto beans

1 12 oz. can black beans

2 14 oz cans diced tomatoes

1 15 oz can tomato sauce

1 lb. hamburger

1/4 cup diced onion

garlic salt to taste

1 12 oz. can green beans

1 pkg. chili seasoning mix

1 cup diced beef stick

1/4 cup ketchup

Drain and rinse the beans. In your DO, brown the ground beef, onions and garlic salt. I used about 25 coals on the bottom. Drain any grease. Mix the remaining ingredients in with the ground beef and simmer for 20-30 minutes.

The Finished Product

What I Learned

I learned that there is such a thing as a quick DO dinner. I got everything prepared while the coals were starting, and this came together really quickly.

The Review

This was really good, especially when you consider how short a time it cooks. It will be even better tomorrow when the sausage flavor has time to soak into everything. I added some frozen corn, and you could add any veggies you wanted to make this a really hearty soup. This would be an easy camping meal. This recipe gets a B+ for ease and taste.

Day 24: Chicken Tikka Masala

One of my goals for this dutch oven experiment was that I not change the kinds of food I cook, only the way I cook them. And so far I have mostly succeeded. The only thing that is different about my cooking now is that I am branching out with what I cook. Tonight's dish is Indian. I have never had any Indian food, so I had no idea what to expect, except that it would be spicy.
This recipe got rave reviews at My Kitchen Cafe, so I thought I would try it out. Her recipes never disappoint.

Chicken Tikka Masala

10" dutch oven

1 cup plain yogurt

1 Tbs. lemon juice

2 tsp. ground cumin

1 tsp. ground cinnamon

2 tsp. cayenne pepper (I only used one)

2 tsp. black pepper

1 Tbs. minced fresh ginger (I didn't have any)

3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

Combine all the ingredients in a Ziploc bag and refrigerate 1 hour. Fry the chicken in your D.O. using 18-20 coals until cooked through. When chicken is cooked, remove from the D.O., drain any liquid and make the sauce.

Sauce:

1 Tbs. butter

1 clove minced garlic

1 jalapeno pepper, finely chopped

2 tsp. ground cumin

2 tsp. paprika

1/2 tsp. salt

1 8 oz. can tomato sauce

1 cup cream

1/4 cup chopped cilantro

Melt the butter in your D.O. I used about 15 coals on the bottom. Add the garlic and jalapeno and saute for about 1 minute. Add the spices. Stir in the tomato sauce and cream. Simmer on low heat for about 20 minutes or until the sauce thickens. I covered the D.O. and added about 7 coals to the top. Then add the chicken and simmer for 10 minutes more. Garnish with fresh cilantro.

The Finished Product

What I learned

I am getting the hang of simmering foods in a dutch oven. I have found it works best if I reverse the normal rule for adding coals. For a 10" oven I would use 14 coals on the bottom and 7 on top. I also learned that I like Indian foods.

The Review

I have never had a mix of flavors quite like this. It was not at all what I expected. The chicken was tender and it was nicely spiced. I cut the cayenne in half and didn't add the jalapeno. It would have been too hot for my kids. The flavor was amazing, and very unusual. The fam ate it up and there aren't any leftovers. It also came together really quickly and easily. If you are like me and have never tried Indian food, this is the place to start. I will definitely make this again. Grade: B+