Author Archives: Julia Ann

Red Lentils-Sausage Stew

Slow Cooker Red Lentils-Sausage Stew

Happy New Year 2016!

Red Lentils-Sausage Stew

Red Lentils-Sausage Stew

In the Italian tradition, lentils-sausage stew was our New Year’s food for luck. It seems across the continents good luck is thought to be prosperity,  good health, happiness, success and longevity. We aren’t Italian, we  wanted to try another tradition to celebrate the New Year’s.  It would be interesting to prepare the New Year’s evening menu recipes from around the world which are noted to be Lucky New Year’s Food. 

Here is my suggestion for your 2017 New Year’s Menu celebration.

Italy:  Cotechino con Lenticcjie, pork and lentils
American South: Black-eyes peas, Hoppin’ John, cooked greens
Japan:  Toshikoshi Soba, long buckwheat noodles
Ireland  Buttered Bread Sandwiches
Spain:  12 grapes  referring to Champagne
Berlin:  Berliner Pfannkuchen, jelly doughnuts
Greece: Vasilopita, a New Year’s Cake with a coin hidden in it.                                                                        The person getting the coin will have good luck all year.

Slow Cooker Red Lentils-Sausage Stew

Red Lentils-Sausage Stew

Red Lentils-Sausage Stew

Slow Cookers or Crock-Pot cooking are  great for winter hearty stews, soups or casseroles. Red Lentils-Sausage Stew is a good example of easy meal preparation.  We had a romaine tossed salad, crusty garlic bread, Cinnamon Apple Sauce and Brown Sugar Marble Pound Cake om/crock-for desert. No Champagne, however, we did have some Soft White Wine by Oliver’s Winery.  It was a quiet and satisfying New Year’s Eve. Looking forward to 2016 offerings. 

 

Red Lentils-Sausage Stew

Slow Cooker Red Lentils-Sausage Stew

Julia Ann
A slow cooker makes a hearty stew of red lentils, sausage and vegetables. A winter time comfort food to enjoy with crusty bread.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 3 hours
Total Time 3 hours 20 minutes
Course Entree
Cuisine Italian
Servings 8 cups

Ingredients
  

  • 1/2 sausage remove casing and crumble, or crumble whole sausage
  • 1 cup red lentils rinse
  • 1/2 cup onion chopped
  • 2 garlic cloves minced
  • 1/2 cup carrots coarsely chopped
  • 1/2 cup celery coarsely chopped
  • 1 medium potato chopped in 1/2 inch cubes
  • 14.5 oz tomatoes and juice
  • 1 cup frozen cut spinach
  • 1 cup chicken broth
  • 2 cups water
  • 1/2 teaspoon cayenne
  • 1 teaspoon paprika
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1/2 teaspoon oregano
  • salt and pepper to taste

Instructions
 

  • Layer all the vegetables on the bottom of the slow cooker.
  • Add the crumbled sausage.
  • Pour in the broth and water.
  • Add the seasonings and stir into the broth.
  • Cover, cook on high for 3 hours.

Notes

3 links of bratwursts were used in this recipe; other sausages links or ground sausage could also be used. 
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

 

Wishing you many blessings during 2016:  healthy lives, friends, safety and joys in abundance.

Netta Belle's Choice cookbookinabox

 

 

cookbookinabox Christmas Holiday Newsletter

Wishing you all the peace and joy  of this beautiful season.

Christmas Greetings

Christmas Greetings from cookbookinabox

We thank all who have reviewed our recipes and blog during the year.  It has been a delight to put each newsletter together and a challenge as to what will be the next recipe and topic.

,Time out for a vacation week.

Amtrak Train

Amtrak Texas Eagle

My apologizes for not have anything out the last 2 weeks.  We went on a week vacation to Texas; it was a good train trip from Chicago to Mineola, Texas and back home.  The fun event when traveling by train is meeting different dinner companions assigned to sit with you at each meal.  It is like opening a Christmas present to discover new and interesting  people to become part of your  world.

Lunch Amtrak Style

Lunch Amtrak Style

I, the cook and designer of this blog fell down and fractured my sternum.  Other than “OUCH!!” get up and  keep going, there was not much else to do.  After getting home, some resting,  there was some teaching cookbookinabox partner, husband, how to cook for us. He did a fantastic Slow Cooker  Beef Pot Roast with Vegetables.  I did get an orange jello salad together.  There isn’t much to prepare on celery and carrots and Cinnamon Apple Sauce for dessert.

 

 

A time for Birthday Celebration too.

Birthday Celebration for my husband rated his favorite Netta Belle’s Choice ®Chocolate Cake. No candles, didn’t want to set off the fire alarms.

That went pretty well, so the next day I made the Butternut Squash, Chicken and Pecan Tart. I can’t even use my own recipes without making some changes; I used ham cubes instead of chicken and a Honey Crisp apple.  I baked the squash first, but did not bake it long enough, so baking the tart took much longer to get the squash tender. 

Menu ideas for the Holidays ahead.

Now I am thinking what to have for the holidays of Christmas and New Years.  It has been a tradition to have Potato and Crab Meat Soup on Christmas eve and fruit salad and crusty French Bread.

One of our favorite Christmas menus have been: Cornish Hens, risotto, Brussels Sprouts with Sesame Seeds, Cranberry Orange Salad, Hot Dinner Rolls, American Apple Pie with Vanilla Ice Cream.  We like a nice white wine with dinner and a nibble of Skillet Chocolate Fudge.  A few  years ago we had pan fried lamb chops with herb pan sauce, acorn squash filled with butter and brown sugar, Stir-Fried Cauliflower, cranberry, apple, cherry jello salad, Sweet Whole Wheat Bread and pumpkin pie. Check out the Holiday Menu 104 for another celebratory suggestion.

Christmas Trees a cookbookinabox tradition

A Christmas tree is a tradition for cookbookinabox

What traditions have you started with your Christmas meals and festivities?  Starting out as a new couple, usually it is bringing traditions from each extended family and the desire to make your own traditions.  Then the children come and soon you have many ideas you want to carry over each year:  food, decorations, family dinners, friends visiting and the joy and excitement of the Christmas, Hanukkah or your special holiday celebrations.

Wishing you and your loved ones many moments to warm your heart and home through the holidays.  Blessings into the New Year, 2016.

 

Netta Belle's Choice cookbookinaboxcookbookinabox® in partnership with Netta Belle’s Choice®  bring you great recipes for your cooking experience. ©2007-2018 Netta Belle’s Choice® The Art of Gourmet Cookery® cookbookinabox® “Reg. U.S. Pat. & Trdmk. Off.” Reg. “Trade-marks Canadian Intellectual Property Office. “Netta Belle’s Choice® The Art of Gourmet Cookery® cookbookinabox®.  All rights reserved.

Crock Pot Applesauce

Honey Crisp Apples make delicious applesauce.

Honey Crisp Applesauce Plain and Cinnamon

Honey Crisp Applesauce, Plain and Cinnamon

We were in central Indiana last week, passed an orchard by New Castle, Indiana and could not resist the big sign of Honey Crisp Apples.  So we bought a few, they were so large and nice.  After a apple crumb pie, apple salad, applesauce, apples with cabbage, fried apples, snacking on apples, we needed more apples.  This time we got seconds, said to be used for cooking, well, they were as good as the prime apples for eating. 

Plain Crock Pot Honey Crisp Applesauce

Plain Crock Pot Honey Crisp Applesauce

Applesauce, just right for snack time or on top of toast.

Applesauce is a favorite fruit to have on hand for desserts, eating on bread or to use in baking.  This time I decided to get out the crock pot.  That really makes it easy and a time saver to do other things while the apples are cooking. 

Crock Pot Honey Crisp Applesauce

Crock Pot Honey Crisp Applesauce

I did plain applesauce: cooked  apples and put  the sauce  into clean jars to be kept in the refrigerator.  I did actually preserve some by using water bath canning..  I anticipated a much larger batch of applesauce.  A lot of water boiling, for cleaning jars and for water bath kettle for 3 pints of applesauce.  Oh well,  it was a good practice  as I do not do canning often.

Plain Crock Pot Honey Crisp Applesauce

Crock Pot Applesauce

Julia Ann
Cooking apples in a crock pot is easy and a quick way to make applesauce, plain or cinnamon.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 25 minutes
Cook Time 2 hours
Total Time 2 hours 25 minutes
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Servings 4 pints

Ingredients
  

  • 15 large apples
  • 2 tablespoons lemon juice
  • 1/2 cup water
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon.

Instructions
 

  • Put 2 tablespoon lemon juice into large bowl.
  • Peel, core and cut apples into 1 1/2 inch chunks or 8ths put into the large bowl.
  • Stir frequently to get the lemon juice on the apples to prevent browning.
  • Put into the crock pot.
  • Add the water, sugar and cinnamon.
  • Cook in the crock pot for 2 hours on high.
  • Mash with a potato masher to desired consistency.
  • Put into clean pint jars and cover with lids,
  • Store in refrigerator to use.
  • Or store cans on the shelf after water bath canning.

Notes

This is not my original recipe. The internet and cookbooks are similar; it varies by quantity of ingredients, much is to your tastes. For plain applesauce, omit the cinnamon. Run through the food processor or blender if a smoother applesauce is desired.
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
Honey Crisp Applesauce Plain and Cinnamon

Honey Crisp Applesauce, Plain and Cinnamon

For recipes using applesauce, check out this sites:

Simply Recipes.com – Applesauce Spice Cake

foodnetwork.com – Roasted Pork Loin with Cider and Chunky Applesauce

Popsugar.com – Recipes Using Applesauce

 

Netta Belle's Choice cookbookinaboxJulia Ann and cookbookinabox® in partnership with Netta Belle’s Choice bring you great recipes for your cooking experience.   ©2007-2018 Netta Belle’s Choice® The Art of Gourmet Cookery®  cookbookinabox® “Reg. U.S. Pat. & Trdmk. Off.” Reg. “Trade-marks Canadian Intellectual Property Office. “ Netta Belle’s Choice® The Art of Gourmet Cookery® cookbookinabox® All rights reserved.

Roast Beef Dinner

Roast Beef Dinner for Two

Roast Beef Dinner for Two

Roast Beef Dinner for Two

Having a Roast Beef Dinner is a big event at cookbookinabox’s  house.  Several reasons which many probably may identify . Health is our biggest reason, fat,  cholesterol is higher in red meats.  Expense, it is more expensive to have choice cuts on a regular basis.  Meatless meals is often our choice.  However, there are times when a nice Roast Beef Dinner brings good memories and is comfort food.  

Cast Iron Dutch Oven

Grandmother’s Cast Iron Dutch Oven

We have the cast iron dutch oven that was my husband’s grandmothers.  It had made a long trip through Texas when the family travel by horse and wagon in the early 1900’s. So it is always a treat and fun to use this kettle.  I also like to use this kettle for soups as well.

Beef Bottom Round Roast

Beef Bottom Round Roast

Since there are only 2 of us in the home, I bought a small beef bottom round roast under 2 pounds.  The recipe was adapted from Joy Of Cooking’s, Beef Pot Roast, cooked in a convection oven instead of the stove.

Preparing the beef roast for the oven

After baking the beef roast and removing to a plate to keep warm, I decanted the juices and fat into a fat separator.  I poured off the juices into a measuring cup, and poured about 4 tablespoons fat back into the dutch oven to make the roux for gravy.  I used the juices and added cream to make 2 cups for the liquid to the 4 tablespoons of fat and  4 tablespoons of flour.

Making the roux for gravy

Roast Beef Dinner

Roast Beef Dinner

Julia Ann
A special Sunday Dinner Roast Beef, tender, juicy to be enjoyed with mashed potatoes and gravy.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 2 hours 30 minutes
Total Time 3 hours
Course Entree
Cuisine American
Servings 4 -6 servings

Ingredients
  

  • 2 pound beef bottom round roast
  • 2 tablespoons oil
  • 1/4 cup flour
  • 1/2 cup onions finely chopped
  • 1/2 cup carrots finely sliced
  • 1 1/2 cups beef stock or bouillon
  • 1 teaspoon seasoning blend
  • 1/2 teaspoon Sea Salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon Ground Black Pepper
  • GRAVY
  • 4 tablespoons fat
  • 4 tablespoons flour
  • 1 1/2 cups meat juices
  • cream to make 2 cups liquid

Instructions
 

  • Preheat oven to 325 F.
  • Trim off fat, make cuts into the side of the meat to prevent curling
  • Flour all sides of the roast.
  • Heat the oil in the Dutch oven.
  • Brown the roast on all sides.
  • Add the onions, carrots, and broth to the roast.
  • Cook about 5 minutes.
  • Bake in the preheated oven 2 hours or until meat is tender, to 155 F to 165 F for medium well.
  • Remove meat from pan to a dish; cover to keep warm
  • GRAVY
  • Strain off the vegetables.
  • Decant the juices and fat into a fat separator.
  • Pour off the juices, on top, to a measuring cup, add cream to make 2 cups liquid
  • Pour 4 tablespoon fat and juices to the Dutch oven, stir to loosen the bits and pieces of the meat.
  • With a whisk, add the flour, stirring until blended.
  • Gradually add the 2 cups of the liquid, stirring with the whisk to smooth.
  • Simmer the gravy up to 10 minutes to thicken.
  • Taste and correct seasonings as needed.
  • Add 1/2 teaspoon thyme.
  • Serve over the meat and potatoes.
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
Roast Beef Dinner for Two

Roast Beef Dinner for Two

The Roast Beef Dinner menu

Marinated Vegetable Salad
Mixer Whole Wheat Bread
Roast Beef and Beef Gravy
Mashed Russet Potatoes
Steamed Asparagus
American Persimmon Cake

 

Visit these links:      Simply Recipes – Roast Beef;            allrecipes – All American Roast Beef

 

Netta Belle's Choice cookbookinaboxJulia Ann and  cookbookinabox® in partnership with Netta Belle’s Choice® bring you great recipes for your cooking experience.  ©2007-2018 Netta Belle’s Choice® The Art of Gourmet Cookery®  cookbookinabox® “Reg. U.S. Pat. & Trdmk. Off.” Reg. “Trade-marks Canadian Intellectual Property Office. “ Netta Belle’s Choice® The Art of Gourmet Cookery® cookbookinabox®. All rights reserved.
            

Pumpkin Roll

Pumpkins and more pumpkins:  Holiday Treat

Pumpkin Roll

Pumpkin Roll ready for Halloween

Pumpkins for Halloween continue into pumpkin pies, breads, cakes, cookies and muffins for Thanksgiving and Christmas.  You don’t think of a pumpkin dessert for New Year’s Eve.

Nienaber'sFarm Market

At Nienaber’s Farm Market

The Pumpkin Roll recipe is a favorite of many community cookbooks or in the Sunday newspaper recipes.  I have used it for several years as it was given to me by a friend.   I finally read the label on Libby’s® Pumpkin l and there it was.  So I  give Libby’s credit for this easy and attractive dessert.  Of course over time, cooks have tweaked it to their taste of hand-me-down recipes.

Baked Pumpkin Roll Cake

Baked Pumpkin Roll Cake, a sponge cake texture

HOW-TO DO A PUMPKIN ROLL

The cake of the pumpkin roll is a sponge cake; it has a light, springy texture, like a sponge. The batter is baked into a thin layer in a jelly roll pan. Many sponge cakes use eggs as the leavening agent, this recipe has 3 eggs plus  baking powder and  baking soda.  Having ingredients at room temperature is important habit for baking.  If using separated eggs as in some sponge cakes, the egg whites whip to more volume at room temperature. 

It is important to  have the 15 1/2 x 10 1/2 x 1-inch baking pan greased and lined with parchment paper also greased and floured before using.  This enables the thin flat cake to come out of the pan for easy rolling. I use a damp cloth to turn the cake onto, roll up and cool in the refrigerator for one hour. Don’t get the cloth too damp as it will tear up the cake. Some recipes advise using flour or powdered sugar to  turn the cake on and let it cool at room temperature.  When removing the sponge cake from the oven, place the pan on a wire rack for 1 minute to cool and slightly pull away from the sides of the pan; run a knife around the edge.  Turn the cake onto the prepared cloth, peel the parchment paper off.

The short end of the  cake is rolled up in the cloth to set the shape as well as to let it cool.  I cool in the pumpkin roll in the refrigerator 1 hour, then  remove and unroll the cake to be filled. Spread the filling within 1/2 inch of the edges.  It will fill to the edge  as the cake is rolled up.  Carefully roll up the cake and filling, pulling the cloth from the cake.  Place the pumpkin roll  on a serving platter, seam side down.  Powder sugar can be sprinkled on top just before serving.  The sugar will dissolve into the cake if sprinkled too soon before serving.

I do not make 2 pumpkin rolls as a rule.  Since we had a Halloween Party to attend, I doubled the recipe and made the 2 rolls, putting them in a 9 x 13 cake pan for carrying.  They were a hit in the dessert line, just add a bit of whipped cream. One roll will make 10, 1/2 inch slices. 

2 Pumpkin Rolls Ready for the Halloween Party

2 Pumpkin Rolls Ready for the Halloween Party

Pumpkin Roll

Julia Ann
A popular autumn dessert of moist Pumpkin Cake Roll filled with cream cheese and powder sugar filling.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 45 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 1 hour
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Servings 10 servings

Ingredients
  

  • CAKE
  • 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 3 eggs
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 2/3 cup pumpkin puree
  • 1 teaspoon lemon juice
  • FILLING
  • 6 ounces cream cheese
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1/2 cup butter
  • 1 cup sifted powdered sugar

Instructions
 

  • Jelly roll pan 10 x 15, greased, lined with parchment paper, greased and floured.
  • Preheat over to 375 F.
  • Sift together all the dry ingredients, set aside.
  • In large mixer bowl, combine eggs, sugar, pumpkin and lemon juice.
  • Beat on high speed for 5 minutes.
  • Gradually add dry ingredients into the egg/sugar mixture beating until smooth.
  • Pour into the prepared pan.
  • Bake 15 minutes at 375 F.
  • After baking flip cake on damp cloth, roll up from short end, cool in refrigerator 1 hour.
  • Combine cream cheese, vanilla, butter and powdered sugar.
  • Mix until blended and smooth.
  • Assemble Pumpkin Roll:
  • Unroll the cake on the cloth.
  • Spread filling on the cake leaving 1/2 inch from the edges.
  • Reroll the cake, peeling away the cloth.
  • Lift roll on serving plate with the seam side down.
  • Sprinkle with powdered sugar just before serving sliced cake.

Notes

This recipe can be doubled to make 2 pumpkin rolls. 2 1/2 cups batter will be needed to fill the 2 jelly-roll pans and 1 3/4 cups of filling for each roll.--------------
Julia Ann and cookbookinabox® in partnership with Netta Belle’s Choice® bring you great recipesfor your cooking experience. ©2007-2018Netta Belle’s Choice® The Art of Gourmet Cookery® cookbookinabox® “Reg. U.S. Pat. & Trdmk. Off.” Reg. “Trade-marks Canadian Intellectual Property Office. “ Netta Belle’s Choice® The Art of Gourmet Cookery® cookbookinabox® All rights reserved.
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
Serving of Pumpkin Roll with Whip Cream

Serving of Pumpkin Roll with Whip Cream

Enjoy these pumpkin desserts.

Pumpkin Bread – cookbookinabox

Pumpkin Bread

cookbookinabox – Pumpkin Bread                                                                                                             

Simply Recipes – Old Fashioned Pumpkin Pie

Sally’s Baking Additions – Whole Wheat Mini Pumpkin Muffins

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Netta Belle's Choice cookbookinaboxJulia  Ann cookbookinabox® in partnership with Netta Belle’s Choice® bring you great recipes  for your cooking experience. ©2007-2018 Netta Belle’s Choice® The Art of Gourmet Cookery cookbookinabox® “Reg. U.S. Pat. & Trdmk. Off.” Reg. “Trade-marks Canadian Intellectual Property Office. “ Netta Belle’s Choice® The Art of Gourmet Cookery® cookbookinabook.  All rights reserved.