beef strogenaugh
Posted: October 5, 2023 Filed under: meats poultry and fish | Tags: beef, black pepper, butter, flour, garlic, green pepper, heavy cream, mushrooms, red wine vinegar, rice, salt, sour cream, tobasco, white onion, wine vinegar, worcestershire sauce Leave a comment
A Beefy Blast From The Past
I had seen the Betty Crocker’s Beef & Potatoes Recipe booklet in Mom’s cookbook and often just skipped past it. I typically try and find the more authentic family recipes that have been handwritten or shared by a friend.
Little did I know when I went to catalog more of Mom’s recipes I’d find a handwritten recipe inside the front page. The reversed hot pink handwriting was basically staring at me – it was staining the paper from inside the front of the booklet (pic below). While my eyes missed the penmanship for years, I would later recognize instantly it belonged to my Grandmother “Nanny.” Score!
I had just stumbled onto two recipes undoubtedly Mom/”Nanny” shared with her Daughter/”Betty” – one for Beef Strogenaugh and one for Spanish Shrimp. I instantly recall eating Nanny’s Beef Strogenaugh as a kid and was excited I now had recipes from my maternal Grandmother. This is a plea to have your grandmothers write their favorites down now!
Sous Chef Note: I was confused by the spelling of strogenaugh but my Grandmother’s Dad was from the “old country” of Moravia (now known as the Czech Republic). She grew up speaking Czech and undoubtedly retained some of the European spellings like “strogenaugh.” I chose to leave it spelled this way to honor how she penned it. It’s the fifth strogenaugh recipe to date from Mom’s culinary legacy so I know my ancestors loved the stuff as much as I ❤ chips and queso.
Foodie Tips
❤ “Heavy beef?” This one had me stumped and I reread Nanny’s handwriting several times to try and make sure I was reading it correctly. Online research proved this is actually a real thing – a heavy beef typically has less marbling and it may be less tender as it’s made from older cattle. You can read more about heavy beef here.
❤ I was only familiar with bottled liquid Lea & Perrins Worcestershire sauce. I found in Nanny’s Spanish Shrimp recipe a sidenote calling for “David Wade Worcestershire powder.” Powder? I had never heard of such a thing! After a few clicks, I was surprised to find it still for sale online and quickly ordered a bag of it so I could stay true to how Nanny prepared this dish.
Unfamiliar with David Wade, I was surprised to learn he was from my second hometown of Dallas and he was regarded as the “Rembrandt of the Kitchen.” Mr. Wade was known as a food demonstrator (not a chef), had a nationally syndicated cooking show, and is the author of several cookbooks. Make sure and check out David Wade’s website – I learned a lot about Worcester and Worcestershire and the 5th basic taste – umami – which Worcestershire sauce brings with its distinctive, savory taste.
❤ Sous Chef’s Pro Tip: Not sure how to pronounce Worcestershire sauce? No worries! Just say “wash your sister sauce” and nobody will likely challenge you.
i. Time
30-45 minutes
ii. Ingredients
½ pound (2 sticks) | falfurrias brand butter, melted (Nanny insisted on Falfurrias)
2 pounds | heavy beef, cut into 1 to 1 ½ inch cubes
1 button | garlic
¼ teaspoon | salt
generous amount | fresh cracked black pepper
2-3 drops | tobasco (someone didn’t like spice as much as me!)
1 medium | white onion
½ cup | green pepper, chopped
1 tablespoon | wine vinegar (we used red)
1 cup | mushrooms, sliced
1 cup | heavy cream
2 cups | sour cream
1 tablespoon | worcester (worcestershire) power (see tip above)
1 tablespoon | flour (optional, if sauce is too thin)
to serve | rice, prepared
iii. What To Do
1. Start your rice. While in my younger years, I feasted on Minute Instant White Rice the “new” me has a rice cooker and I prefer rice prepared in this method. Arborio, jasmine, and basmati rice are my top 3 go-to’s.
2. Melt the butter in a medium-sized pan over medium heat.
3. Add the beef, onion, green pepper and garlic and cook it in the butter until lightly brown.
4. Add the salt, black pepper and Worcestershire powder. Stir.
5. Add the tobasco and red wine vinegar. Keep stirring and cook for about 1 minute.
6. Add the mushrooms, reduce the heat, and cook 4-5 minutes.
7. Add the heavy cream and sour cream. Stir well.
8. Cover the pan with a lid and simmer for about 5-10 minutes or until done, stirring often.
9. Serve on top of the rice and enjoy!
Servings: 4-6 (maybe more)
Betty’s Son
Founder and “Nostalgic Food Blogger” of Betty’s Cook Nook
A Scan Of My Grandmother “Nanny’s” Recipe – Bonus Spanish Shrimp Recipe Shown
11/30/21Presidente Brandy
manicotti-cheese bake
Posted: June 5, 2023 Filed under: casseroles and one-dish meals | Tags: black pepper, green pepper, ground beef, italian herb seasoning, manicotti shells, mozzarella cheese, ricotta cheese, salt, sugar, tomato paste, water, white onion Leave a comment
Simply Satisfying
As a self-proclaimed Italian foodie, I was leery about this recipe. It seemed far too basic from the looks of the recipe (below). But my love of pasta and red sauce drew me into the light. #CarolAnne
The end result? A delicious dinner! You can modify this to suit your preference. I read about options including adding chopped parsley, ground meat, or vegetables to the cheese mixture. Drooling!
Manicotti or Cannelloni? Yeah, I wasn’t sure of the difference, either. Manicotti tubes are ridged and typically thicker than their cannelloni friends, which are smooth and slightly thinner. Either way, you win with carbs!
My instinct says this recipe hails from circa 1980 based on the print quality and fonts used in the recipe. I’ll do some digging to see if I’m right and post an update. The original recipe scan is below. Enjoy!
Foodie Tips
❤ For an easy way to get the cheese inside the manicotti shells, pipe it in! Take a plastic sandwich bag and fill it with the cheese mixture. Snip off a corner of the bag with some scissors and you just made yourself a piping bag. After parboiling the pasta, insert the snipped end of the bag into the shell and squeeze/pipe until the shell is filled.
❤ We required more cheese and of course, preferred more sauce. You can double everything below (aside from the shells). For the shells, we made a couple extra just in case there were any unforeseen splits/cracks during parboiling. Any split/cracked shells make for fun snacking!
❤ If you’re in a pinch for time, you can use your own sauce. Dare I say use a jarred sauce! Joe makes a delicious red sauce that we try to keep on hand, but it usually winds up being devoured within a day or two.
i. Time
About an hour (all in)
ii. Ingredients
½ pound | ground beef
½ cup | white onion, minced
¼ cup | green pepper, chopped
⅔ cup | tomato paste
2 cups | water
1 ½ teaspoon | salt
½ teaspoon | fresh cracked black pepper
1 teaspoon | sugar
1 ½ teaspoon | italian seasoning
8-9 | manicotti shells
2 cups (1 pound) | ricotta cheese
1 cup (4 ounces) | mozzarella cheese, hand grated
to serve | more cheese and fresh basil on top
iii. What To Do
1. Sauté meat, onion, and green pepper. Drain off the fat.
2. Add the tomato paste, water, salt, pepper, sugar, and the Italian seasoning. Simmer 15 minutes.
3. While the sauce is simmering, parboil the manicotti in salted water for 4 minutes. Drain and set the shells aside on a paper towel to rest.
4. Prepare the cheese mixture by combining the ricotta and mozzarella cheese in a medium bowl. Transfer into your piping bag (see recipe tip above).
5. Prepare an 8 inch (or a size appropriate for how much you’re making) baking dish by placing some of the sauce on the bottom. Now is a good time to preheat your oven to 350°F.
6. Begin filling one of the parboiled shells with the cheese mixture. Place the filled shell into the baking dish and continue until all shells are ready to go.
7. Cover the shells with the tomato sauce.
8. Bake at 350°F for 20-30 minutes, or until things are nice and bubbly. Just before serving top with more cheese and some fresh basil.
Servings: 4-6 (maybe more)
Betty’s Son
Founder and “Nostalgic Food Blogger” of Betty’s Cook Nook
An original scan of Mom’s recipe:
Who was Carol Anne?
Carol Anne (aka Heather O’ Rourke) was one of the most iconic childhood actors! You may remember her phrase “They’re here!
11/30/21Presidente Brandy
sausage stroganoff finale
Posted: December 29, 2020 Filed under: casseroles and one-dish meals, meats poultry and fish | Tags: chili powder, egg noodles, green pepper, salt, sausage, sour cream, sugar, tomatoes, water, white onion Leave a comment
Hit Me Baby One More Time
Ladies and gentlemen, fasten your seatbelts – we’re on for another taste bud adventure compliments of this sausage stroganoff recipe!
This isn’t the first time I’ve waxed on about stroganoff (it’s the fourth time to be precise) but it may be the last. Sadly I think this is the final stroganoff recipe in my Mom’s cookbook. As the last Betty’s Cook Nook meal of the year this dish marked the perfect culinary dismount to a wacky and wild 2020!
So What Makes This Recipe A Classic?
Well, a couple of things. For starters I’m 99% confident this recipe hails from an early 1980s Southern Living magazine clipping; I recognize the recipe’s font (see the original clipping below)!
Secondly I incorporated a hidden weapon ingredient which you can learn more about below: the Wendish noodle is a blast from the past and it has a special connection to this recipe and the people of Texas. Incoming story below!
Tip: If you just prefer the recipe please fast-scroll to the Foodie Tips section below. If you want to enjoy a random family story about early Texas in the 1800s, please grab your favorite beverage and read on!
A Little Bit About Dime Box
It all started harmlessly with a random pic my Cousin Alison texted of a likely relative “Adolph Hannes” who surely lived in the greater Dime Box, Texas area. Dime Box is the birthplace of my Maternal Grandmother “Nanny” who was ironically also one of my bestest of friends when I was a kid. Dime Box isn’t a big city – in fact even today it’s an unincorporated community of about 1,100 residents. But for the European immigrants who claimed it as home, they found Dime Box a small but magnificent place that rests on the eastern Texas prairie offering big sky views and wide open spaces that could cultivate new beginnings.
After a few online queries I learned Adolph’s picture was from a 1961 book “Texas Wends – Their First Half Century,” authored by Lillie Moerbe Caldwell.
Texas Wends tells the magnificent story of how in 1854 the Wendish people of Lusatia (east Germany and southern Poland) fled to Texas in search of religious and political freedom. After 3 months at sea on the Ben Nevis clipper ship they disembarked in the port city of Galveston and ventured by wagon and foot to Serbin, Texas which is just a few minutes drive from Dime Box and 69 miles from where I live today. The story of the Wends is wild and wondrous and sadly 1 in 8 of the 588 crammed ship voyagers lost their lives on their journey to Texas. I had hoped to connect the Wends to my nuclear family (was I Wendish?) but after receiving the book I quickly combed through the Ben Nevis’ ship manifest only to find no surnames that I recognized. Regardless, Adolph’s picture proved my family was friends of the Wends!
There on page 80 of Texas Wends was a picture of Adolph Hannes that became a remarkable key to a chapter in my life that has connected the past with the present! Adolph shared a surname with my grandmother “Nanny’s” husband Harry Hannes and there in the pic Adolph was enjoying a “dram” with his friend Henry Kruemcke. I quickly and luckily discovered a hardbound copy of the book on eBay and it’s now in my library. I did some Ancestry.com research and discovered that Adolph is my Grand Uncle! #MicDrop
Into The Car We Went
Soon after geeking out on our family lineage Cousin Alison and I decided to travel to Dime Box and nearby Serbin to inspect a few things. We visited the Hannes-Old Dime Box cemetery where we saw several headstones bearing our family’s surnames (Hannes and Hejtmancik). It was surreal being in the very origin of our Texas roots! A 20-minute ride from Dime Box landed us just outside Giddings in Serbin. We visited the Texas Wendish Heritage Museum, its next door historic painted St. Paul Church and while taking in the historic sights we learned about black wedding dresses, the art of decorating Wendish Easter Eggs and low and behold we scored the glorious egg noodles that are made on site and that I used in this recipe!
We’ve made two trips back thus far and are planning a third. We’ll return to the Dime Box Heritage Society Museum where we gratefully discovered family photos and artifacts with ease. And of course no trip would be complete without paying our respects at the Heritage Museum where I plan to reunite the Texas Wends book to the Memorial Library of its author, Lillie Moerbe Caldwell.
So there you have it – how a little noodle has great big ties to this recipe and newly-discovered great chapters of my family history! I never underestimate the power of food.
Foodie Tips
❤ The Wendish noodles are about 3 inches in length and have an al dente (“to the tooth”) texture that I love. No soggy noodles here! Don’t live near Serbin, Texas? No worries – you can score your noodles online!
❤ I cooked the Wendish noodles separately according to the package instructions then poured the stroganoff on top to serve. On my next go of this recipe I think I’ll add the uncooked noodles and let them simmer in the stroganoff per the original recipe instructions below – they will likely absorb more of the tasty stroganoff flavor.
❤ Fan of the stroganoff? Luckily there are a few more you can try out here on Betty’s Cook Nook. Click and scroll down!
i. Time
Total prep: About 45-60 minutes.
ii. Ingredients
1 pound | bulk pork sausage
1 cup | white onion, finely chopped
1 cup | green pepper, finely chopped
16 ounce can | diced organic canned tomatoes (Kirkland)
8 ounces | sour cream
1 cup | water
1 tablespoon | sugar
2 teaspoons | kosher salt
2 teaspoons | chili powder
8 ounces | egg noodles (Wendish noodles if you can)
iii. What To Do
1. In a skillet over medium heat combine sausage, onion and green pepper and stir until the sausage is brown and the onion is tender. Drain off the pan drippings.
2. In a separate bowl combine the tomatoes, sour cream, water, sugar and seasonings. Stir this mixture into the sausage mixture.
3. Gently stir in the noodles. Cover and simmer about 30 minutes or until the noodles are tender. Stir occasionally.
Yield: 4-6 servings
Betty’s Son
Founder and “Nostalgic Food Blogger” of Betty’s Cook Nook
A Scan Of Mom’s Original Stroganoff Recipe Clipping
One more time: This video may not qualify as an antique or vintage… but it’s certainly retro!
slang jang
Posted: January 28, 2020 Filed under: sides | Tags: celery, green pepper, oil, onion, sauerkraut, sugar, vinegar, water Leave a comment
A Delightfully Interesting Creation
I had never heard of “Slang Jang” before finding this recipe in my Mom’s cookbook.
I was curious about the origin of Slang Jang and one theory is that it hails from the East Texas town of Honey Grove, known as “The Sweetest Town In Texas.” Slang Jang has roots to 1888, a giant washtub, and the creative appetites of a group of men who just wanted lunch.
Slang Jang can be made a multitude of ways; surprisingly this recipe omits the often incorporated oysters, clams, and shrimpy things I know my Mom Betty would have loved. This Slang Jang recipe is super simple and super versatile – think of it like a relish or a “chow chow.” You can enjoy it on many things including hamburgers, hot dogs, atop cheese and crackers, or as an accompaniment to corn bread or black eyed peas.
Diving into Mom’s culinary legacy – her cookbook – I’m often able to connect pieces of the past together. I noted this Slang Jang recipe was written by my Mom on stationery from Hotel Monteleone (a.k.a. “The Monteleone”) in New Orleans. I only know of one trip my parents took to New Orleans so possibly they scored this recipe during that trip in 1956. Here’s a slice of history – a picture of them enjoying dinner in New Orleans at The Roosevelt Hotel’s “Blue Room” – a historic “supper club” venue where dinner, drinks, and dancing all converged.
New Orleans (1956): The Blue Room ~ Shown here are my Uncle Bill (Willard Franklin Sutton,) Aunt Delores Marie Hannes Sutton, and my parents “Betty” (Elizabeth Joanna Hannes Kiker,) and Louis Orville Kiker.
i. Time
Total prep: About 20 minutes
ii. Ingredients
1 large can or jar (3 ½ cups) | sauerkraut, drained (we used 2 bags of Boar’s Head)
1 large | onion, finely chopped
1 cup | celery, finely chopped
1 | green pepper, finely chopped
½ cup | water
½ cup | oil (we used Wesson Vegetable Oil)
¾ cup | vinegar
1 ½ cups | sugar
iii. What to do
1. Prepare all the vegetables.
2. Place the four wet ingredients in a medium pot and bring things to a boil.
3. Remove from heat and pour the boiling mixture over the vegetables and you’re ready to enjoy!
Stores well in the fridge
Betty’s Son
Founder and “Nostalgic Food Blogger” of Betty’s Cook Nook
Also note: Don’t miss the recipe’s shorthand “code” for one 2 ½ can of sauerkraut. Back in the good ol’ days can sizes were often used to denote how much of an ingredient to use. A “2 ½ can” would translate into 3 ½ cups!
A Scan Of Mom’s Handwritten Slang Jang Recipe
macaroni chicken salad
Posted: July 9, 2017 Filed under: appetizers, casseroles and one-dish meals, salads | Tags: celery, chicken, eggs, green peas, green pepper, macaroni and cheese dinner, mayonnaise, onion, radish, salad dressing Leave a comment
take an old friend for a new spin
Mmm MMM! I love me some macaroni and cheese!
In college I could eat an entire box of the stuff in one sitting. I still can. I’d stir in a little sour cream just to make things creamier, as if that was a missing thing.
This recipe takes the tried and true mac ‘n cheese staple and dresses it up with a bit of protein and some veggie bits to make a special dish that will tickle the tastebuds.
foodie tips
❤ I’m sure the folks at Kraft would love to know that in my entire life I don’t recall if I’ve ever had any other boxed mac and cheese but theirs. There’s something to be said for a loyal stomach! I’ve made mac and cheese from scratch a few times – here’s one of my favorites if you want to enjoy hatch-chicken mac ‘n cheese. It’s out of this world.
Could it be evil lives inside peppers? On my next slice I’ll definitely have an *extra* knife handy. Just in case.
❤ My dear friend Heather 1,000% percent loathes bell peppers. I don’t quite get her hatred for the lil’ green things. She said the flavor is wretched and it makes her burp.
I went online and discovered there is a following a folks who are convinced that “pepper faces” are evil. Hmm… they could be onto something. This one’s for you, Heather!
If by chance you fall into the “no-thank-you” green pepper camp, try substituting a can of Hatch peppers – fresh if you can. The smoky heat will warm your heart. And I know Heather loves hatch peppers so all should be good there.
❤ House divided: Joe and I argued whether this dish was better hot or cold. Since I’m the one writing the blog post, I kindly suggest you try it warm first; then chill any leftovers and see if you like the chilled version. Note: There won’t be any leftovers! :) Looks like I win again!
i. ingredients
1 package | macaroni and cheese dinner
1 cup | cooked chicken, diced
3 | hard-boiled cage free eggs, chopped
½ cup | green pepper, chopped
½ cup | green peas, cooked
¼ cup | celery, chopped
¼ cup | radishes, sliced
3 tablespoons | onion, chopped
⅓ cup | salad dressing or mayonnaise
ii. what to do
1. Make your mac ‘n cheese dinner according to the package directions. Please don’t overcook it! Soggy pasta is right up there with wet blankets and warm beer. No thank you!
2. Transfer the mac ‘n cheese to a large bowl and combine in the next seven ingredients.
3. Stir in the salad dressing and toss gently. Consume immediately or chill, if you must. :)
Yields 6-8 servings according to the original recipe… or 1-2 servings, if you enjoy bountiful mounds of food, like me.
Betty’s Son
Founder and “Nostalgic Food Blogger” of Betty’s Cook Nook
A scan of Mom’s macaroni-chicken salad recipe
At 5 cents a servings I’ll eat $2 worth, please. It’s the least I can do! The least.
Here in the 2nd commercial a wife is really bummed her husband is coming home for lunch. Sheesh! Maybe he should check the Mac n’ Cheese to make sure it’s not generously sprinkled with Rat Kill!
Here we see the Mom’s family is just too busy to stop to eat dinner together. Sounds like it’s 15 minutes for dinner to be ready… and 20 minutes of spankings for all! And there’s plenty more servings of spankings to go ’round!
shrimp remoulade
Posted: June 5, 2017 Filed under: appetizers, meats poultry and fish, seafood | Tags: celery, egg, green pepper, mustard, onion, paprika, parsley, salad oil, salt, shrimp, tabasco sauce, vinegar 2 Comments
let’s applaud this remoulade
Prior to making this recipe, I didn’t know much about shrimp remoulade.
- I couldn’t spell “remoulade” correctly.
- Roots to France? No wonder I couldn’t spell it!
- As a younger Patrick if a shrimp-like object was placed before me I would have run for the hills, arms in air. So making this recipe *and eating* the end result involved a bending of my typical seafood predispositions; I have found certain select seafood fare that I enjoy, although don’t tell that to my Tex-Mex and Italian foodie favorites.
foodie tips
❤ Shrimp tip! While stores may not be consistent in how they classify shrimp, when you’re at the seafood counter, there’s a method to the madness for how many shrimp typically come per pound (this is indicative of their size). Resources that will be helpful include the Certi-Fresh website, which gives great detail plus the Certi-Fresh Shrimp Sizing Guide you can print, and keep with your cookbooks (score!)… and the Farm to Table guide that provides some detail on larger-sized shrimp. Now you’ll be able to decipher shrimp-like code like PUD, P&D, U/15, and 61/70!
❤ While shrimp remoulade is technically an appetizer, you can enjoy it with a variety of sidekicks. I can squarely picture my Mom “Betty” eating these marinated shrimp straight off a Nabisco saltine cracker. Other accents can include a bed of tender greens, jasmine rice, toasted crostini or simply by fork (I’m guilty of by fork – it was that good).
i. ingredients
½ cup + 2 tablespoons | salad oil
¼ cup | mustard
3 tablespoons | vinegar
1 teaspoon | salt
¼ teaspoon | tabasco sauce
2 tablespoons | paprika
1 | egg, hard cooked, separated into yolk and white and chopped
½ cup | celery, minced
2 tablespoons | onion, grated
2 tablespoons | fresh parsley, snipped
2 tablespoons | green pepper, minced
1 pound | shrimp, peeled, deveined, and cooked (P&D&C)
ii. what to do
1. Beat the oil, mustard, vinegar, salt, Tabasco, paprika, and egg yolk with a rotary beater until thick.
2. Fold in the celery, onion, parsley, green pepper, and chopped egg white.
3. Stir in the cleaned and cooked shrimp.
4. Cover and chill in the fridge, stirring occasionally. I let my shrimp and remoulade mingle for about an hour.
Shrimply delicious!
Yields up to 4 servings, depending on the size of the shrimp and how you’re serving it (appetizer or main course).
Betty’s Son
Founder and “Nostalgic Food Blogger” of Betty’s Cook Nook
A scan of Mom’s original Shrimp Remoulade recipe!
Let’s enjoy some vintage cracker commercials!
Who knows how many sleeves of crackers I’ve polished off in my lifetime. Now we can enjoy a nod to crackers throughout the years!
spaghettini bolognese
Posted: June 20, 2015 Filed under: meats poultry and fish, sauces, The Best Of The Best Recipes | Tags: carrots, celery, garlic, green pepper, italian herb seasoning, italian sausage, mushrooms, onion, red wine, sugar, tomato sauce, vegetable oil Leave a comment
Crazy For This Bolognese
I’m confident this is the first of Mom’s recipes I found cut out with Pinking Shears (see the pic below).
Mom was an expert artist, although she would never consider herself as such [insert a Betty-blush here]. Mom’s artistic mediums spanned food, paper, wood, plants and cloth, where her pinking shears were one of her essential tools.
Mom loved sewing so much she found a way to include a sewing closet into her and Dad’s bedroom so there’s no doubting her passion for handmade clothes. Mom made many of her dresses, my band uniforms – she even sewed printed labels bearing my name into my clothes. I wish I still had the hand-painted denim shirt she made me based on my wish – a red barn complete with a scattering of farm animals painted in her “Oh, Betty” style.
I love it when I can find evidence of when Mom’s recipes came into existence. This one was from the May 1975 issue of Family Circle. I hope you enjoy it as much as we did. My partner Joe said this sauce was better than his sauce. That really says a lot since his Red Sauce recipe is my favorite.
foodie tips ~
❤ Spaghettini? We had to look it up. And we briefly lived in Italy. It’s thin spaghetti. How to pronounce “bolognese?” This dish hails from Bologna, Italy, so it’s pronounced with four syllables – not three. Like boh-loh-NYEH-zeh. If you’re doubting your Italian pronunciation you can simply refer to it as a ragù, making sure to pepper your pronunciation with some hearty Italian hand gesturing.
❤ Pump up the jam. I added more carrot, celery and garlic. More cowbell? Well, that’s an ingredient for another special recipe.
❤ Why not serve this dish with some sidekicks? Some pepperoni-cheese bread and a side salad would hit the spot. It’s called a side salad so there’s more room for the bread. :~)
i. ingredients
¼ pound (about 1½ cups) | mushrooms, sliced
1 | carrot, sliced
1 clove | garlic, crushed or minced
½ cup | onion, chopped
½ cup | celery, chopped
½ cup | green pepper, chopped
2 tablespoons | wesson oil*
¾ pound | Italian sausage, casings removed and broken-up with a spoon
2 15-ounce cans | Hunt’s tomato sauce
½ cup | water
¼ cup | dry red wine (not optional)
1 teaspoon | sugar
¼ teaspoon | Italian herb seasoning
* We argued over this one. I wanted to use olive oil and Joe said “stick to the recipe the first time,” my very own cardinal rule. Joe won. But I still snuck-in more carrot, celery and fresh garlic since I wasn’t changing an ingredient. Besides, who gets all excited over one carrot, celery stalk or garlic clove?! Not me, that’s who!
ii. what to do
1. In a medium pan or Dutch oven, sauté the mushrooms, carrot, garlic, onion, celery and green pepper in the oil.
2. Add the sausage and cook until it’s no longer pink. Drain the fat (or not) … we don’t judge.
3. Add the remaining ingredients and simmer, uncovered, for about 40 minutes. Stir occasionally.
4. About 25 minutes into the simmer you can prepare your spaghettini by preparing your pasta according to the instructions.
5. Serve the bolognese over hot, cooked thin pasta.
Yields 5+ servings.
~ Patrick
Betty’s Son
Founder and “Nostalgic Food Blogger” of Betty’s Cook Nook
Here’s a scan of Mom’s original recipe.
A scan of Mom’s Spaghettini Bolognese recipe … as clipped from the May 1975 issue of Family Circle Magazine.
beef polenta pie
Posted: April 12, 2015 Filed under: appetizers, casseroles and one-dish meals | Tags: bread crumbs, celery salt, cornmeal, egg, garlic, garlic salt, green pepper, ground beef, hot pepper sauce, mushrooms, onion, processed american cheese, tomato sauce, worcestershire sauce Leave a comment
A Pie To Try
Mom clipped this recipe from the April 1976 issue of Better Homes and Gardens. I was just cough-cough-9-years-old-cough-#omg-gasp at the time. In the original recipe scan below you can read the story about how this recipe was chosen for the “He Cooks” section of the magazine.
While my first attempt at this recipe didn’t present as beautifully as I had hoped, it was surprisingly tasty. Mastering my Nikon DSLR is a constant work in progress so I’ll plan on another photo session when I make this tasty dish again.
foodie tips ~
❤ Looking for polenta in the ingredient list? You won’t find it there labeled as such, but cornmeal is often used to make the Italian dish, so there you have it! Besides, eating “Beef Cornmeal Pie” just doesn’t sound as tasty. To learn more about the differences (or not) between polenta and cornmeal visit this nice article I discovered.
❤ Me gusto processed American cheese. We used Velveeta slices for the polenta pie topper then later revisited the article and saw the stacked pyramid shape (below) which had more foodie flair than our cheese-flung approach. I think next time I make this I will grate cheddar or mozzarella to better coat the top of the pie.
❤ If you don’t want to make the “peppy sauce” below, you can substitute it with your favorite homemade or jarred sauce. Here’s one of mine. We preferred doubling the peppy sauce recipe to yield 2 cups of sauce. I guess I’m a saucy kinda guy.
i. ingredients
½ pound | ground beef
5 ounces (about 2 cups) | fresh mushrooms, chopped
¾ cup | green pepper, chopped
½ cup | onion, chopped
1 clove | garlic, minced
1 | cage free egg, beaten
¾ cup | soft bread crumbs
1 teaspoon | salt
½ teaspoon | dried oregano, crushed
⅛ teaspoon | fresh cracked black pepper
few drops | bottled hot pepper sauce
¾ cup | cornmeal
¾ teaspoon | salt
2 cups | water
3 slices | processed American cheese
for the peppy tomato sauce topping:
8 ounce can | tomato sauce
⅛ teaspoon | garlic salt
⅛ teaspoon | celery salt
dash | worcestershire sauce
ii. what to do
1. Make the beef mixture: In a 10-inch skillet, cook the ground beef, mushrooms, green pepper, onion and the garlic until beef is browned and the veggies are tender. Remove from heat and set aside. In a bowl, combine egg, bread crumbs, 1 teaspoon salt, oregano, pepper and the hot pepper sauce. Combine this mixture with the meat mixture. Turn into an ungreased 9-inch pie plate and set aside.
2. Make the cornmeal mixture: In a medium saucepan combine the cornmeal, ¾ teaspoon salt and the water. Cook and stir over medium heat until it’s thick and bubbly. Spread this mixture atop the meat mixture that’s been waiting for you in the pie plate. Cover with foil then bake in a 350°F oven for 30 minutes. Uncover the pie and top it with the cheese. Return the pie to the oven until the cheese melts, about 3-5 minutes more. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.
3. Make the peppy tomato sauce (if not using your own sauce substitute): Combine the tomato sauce, garlic salt, celery salt and the Worcestershire sauce. Heat through. Makes about 1 cup of sauce.
4. To serve: Cut your polenta pie into your desired wedge and top with the sauce.
Makes 4 servings
~ Patrick
Betty’s Son
Founder and “Nostalgic Food Blogger” of Betty’s Cook Nook
Here’s a scan of Mom’s recipe clipping (note the time worn folds in the paper). This recipe has a great intro story I hope you read. Note: The recipe’s author, Stephen Braitman, is wearing a button that I’m pretty sure reads “I’m An Advocate For Women”. Right on, Stephen! :)
eggplant appetizer
Posted: October 30, 2014 Filed under: appetizers, sides | Tags: eggplant, garlic, green pepper, mushrooms, olive oil, onion, oregano, pepper, salad olives, salt, sugar, tomato paste, wine vinegar Leave a comment
Olive (I love) This Dish
With over 100 Betty’s Cook Nook recipes under my foodie belt I was surprised that this is the first dish that calls for eggplant. I was also surprised that there’s a pretty healthy debate over whether eggplant is a fruit or a vegetable.
Mom loved squash, cucumber and pretty much anything fresh so without doubt eggplant is a welcomed guest at our family’s table.
My favorite part of this chunky tapenade style dish is the eggplant’s sidekick – the olive; it packs a lotta salty love that just warms the belly. Served on a chip or on the side, this savory dish gives your tongue one tasty ride.
Foodie Tips ~
♥ When I first read this recipe I was surprised to learn it was served cold. Try it cold and hot. Cold is great for summer chillin’ and hot is great for cooler months (my preference) … plus you can shave off the time for it to chill several hours. 1 … 2 … get in my belly!
♥ I had never heard of a “salad olive” before and gave up researching its origin – I think it’s basically the same thing as a green pimiento-stuffed olive. While this calls for whole salad olives, I could only find sliced salad olives at my HEB, so that’s what I used and I liked it. Want to learn more about olives? Take a spin at my well-respected foodie friends’ website at Zingerman’s.
♥ I don’t think you have to eat this app solo – experiment with it and find your “flavorite” ways to enjoy it. I ate spoonfuls of mine on a grilled chicken breast atop some pasta and found it made a tasty, chunky red sauce that really brightened up the dish.
i. ingredients
1 medium | eggplant, peeled and diced
½ cup | green pepper, chopped
medium | onion, chopped
¾ cup | sliced mushrooms (go fresh)
2 cloves | garlic, crushed
¼ cup | extra virgin olive oil
1 can | tomato paste
¼ cup | water
2 tablespoons | wine vinegar
6-7 ounces | stuffed salad olives
1 ½ teaspoon | sugar
½ teaspoon | oregano
½ teaspoon | sugar
1 teaspoon | salt
⅛ teaspoon | fresh cracked black pepper
ii. what to do
1. Put the first six ingredients into a skillet. Cover. Cook gently, stirring occasionally.
2. Then add the remaining eight ingredients from above. Cover and cook 30 minutes.
3. Chill several hours (if you choose) then serve.
Feeds about 4-6 or more, depending on how you serve.
Here’s a scan of my Mom Betty’s original recipe!
A Scan Of Mom’s Original Recipe Card – I Found Two Of These In Her Recipe Box Which Means She Did Not Want To Lose It! (the second was a Xerox copy)
patio potatoes
Posted: July 17, 2014 Filed under: appetizers, sides | Tags: bacon, butter, green pepper, onions, parmesan cheese, potatoes Leave a comment
Our Patio Long Ago
Our patio at 2927 Trailend Drive in San Antonio was such a great space. A little before its time, our paved patio was surrounded by short walls of bricks that matched the house proper and it had a built-in charcoal and wood grill that was all Dads; his cooking kitchen. The grill was 2 levels tall and I’m sure considered an outdoor gourmet kitchen at the time it was built in the 1960s.
The patio was our main portal to the outside world. There were three patio exits into the backyard, north, east and west. If the yard could speak it would likely tell you stories about many baseball games (shown above) … family adventures with the riding lawnmower, clothes that were line-dried, lots of Easter and 4th of July celebrations and my first hammock. And while the yard was our green space, the patio was our center to family fun.
Probably the craziest thing I remember us doing was boarding-up the patio exits one super cold night so we could try our hand at filling-up the patio with enough water to freeze and make an ice rink! I don’t remember our devious plan working but suffice it to say we all loved that patio.
With the love of the patio in mind, I hope you like this recipe! It’s savory, bacon-y and Texas-tasty. Give it a whirl!
Foodie Tips ~
♥ If you haven’t read other recipe posts here on Betty’s Cook Nook yet, you may have missed the 4-1-1. My Grandmother “Nanny” insisted on Faulfurrias brand butter for all cooking. So while this recipe clearly calls for Kraft Miracle Brand Whipped Butter, I’m sorry I have to insist on Nanny’s behalf that we use butter. Just doin’ my job!
♥ Whoopsie. The same is true about the Kraft grated parmesan cheese from a can. Tres 1970s. For an updated taste go fresh n’ cheesy and hand-grate it. Sorry, Kraft, we make up for our pet foodie peeves by eating plenty of your other greatness, like Kraft Mac n’ Cheese. From a box. Gasp!
♥ I can’t figure out why this recipe is called “Patio Potatoes” since they are cooked on the stove top … maybe if you have a gas grill on your patio with a side burner you can get in some patio time.
♥ Adding the onions and peppers a little later into the potato browning stage is a good idea; our veggies were a bit over cooked.
i. ingredients
1 stick | falfurrias brand butter
4 cups | cooked potatoes, sliced no larger than ¼” thick
1 cup | white onion, sliced
⅓ cup | green pepper, chopped
to taste | salt and fresh cracked pepper
¼ cup | fresh grated parmesan cheese
4 slices | crisply cooked bacon, crumbled
ii. what to do
1. Melt butter in skillet; add potatoes and brown lightly. Add onion and green pepper. Cook until browned, turning frequently.
2. Season to your liking with the salt and pepper; top with the cheese and bacon.
Yields 4-6 1970s servings or 2-3 2014 servings. :)
Here’s a scan of Mom’s original Patio Potatoes recipe!
How did this get in here? Oh yeah, I couldn’t resist! Here’s a picture of me as a wee tot on our patio at Trailend. Proof positive it didn’t take much to make me smile. Or wear striped shorts.
Betty's Cook Nook 