Salmon Patties

This is another recipe from Grandma Malaska.

Somehow our family always had cans of salmon in our pantry, and I don't know why because I'd only ever seen it in our pantry. But this patty was a staple because of its high nutrients and quick preparation. I always got to help smash up the saltine crackers. But, with my sensitive kid tongue/nose I could only eat them cut up into macaroni, and to this day I enjoy a good bowl of macaroni and salmon.

1 can salmon deboned (when you buy the can, it is just like the whole fish, so take out the gross parts)

1/2 cup saltine crackers

2 tbsp lemon juice

1 egg

1 diced green onion

salt and pepper to taste

Debone! Mix all ingredients together. Form into 3" patties and pan fry in hot owl till brown on each side.

Serve with mac and cheese and an iceberg salad, if we are keeping it traditional.

Chicken Noodle Soup and Mashed Potatoes

This one is a classic, passed down from Grandma Brimhall (my mothers mom). She is on the right. Grandma Malaska is on the left. They are eating pancakes, but this isn't a pancake recipe. I don't know how it started, but I always remember having homemade chicken noodle soup on mashed potatoes. Maybe it was a creative use of left overs? Maybe it was created for the sensitive toothed? I'm not sure, but it is always hot and hometown good. What you do is put mashed potatoes at the bottom of your bowl then pour steaming hot chicken noodle soup on top. That's all! We also always use homemade noodles that are easily cut up and boiled faster then all get up.

Chicken Noodle Soup

4 to 6 chicken thighs

1 cup diced onion

1 cup diced celery

1 diced carrot

2 cloves minced garlic

salt and pepper to taste

8 cups water

2 chicken bullion cubes

Noodles

2 eggs

2 cups flour

1/2 tsp salt

Simmer chicken in water and 1 tsp salt for 1 hour.

Meanwhile, beat egg and add enough flour to make a stiff dough. Roll out like a pie crust to 1/8" and cut long wide noodle strips. Use plenty of flour to dust noodles. Lay on floured surface till ready for use.

When chicken is done remove from broth to let cool, then remove bone and skin and chop into bite size pieces. Strain the broth and remove excess oil. But it back in the pot and add diced veggies and simmer till tender. Taste broth and add bullion if needed. Bring broth to a boil and add noodles, cook till al dente and add chicken meat. Serve warm over mashed potatoes. Men love this meal! (at least that is what my mom says)

Pizza

*warning: Just by making this recipe you can't make pizza that looks like this. Sorry. That requires a beautiful outdoor clay oven, and a handy dad.

so pizza. Our family eats a lot of pizza. Growing up our pizza Fridays were practically famous. Everyone's friends would come over just for the pizza every weekend.

Like many things our pizza recipe has evolved over the years. But this recipe is the staple, what our pizza would taste like back in 1998, when we didn't have a clay oven and a culinary genius dad (I mean, we have the same dad, but now he just has more time to study culinary genius things).

So here we go

Pizza

1 pizza crust

1 tbsp yeast

1 cup warm water

1/2 tsp salt

2 tsp oil

2 1/2 to 3 1/2 cups flour

dissolve yeast in water.

add salt, oil, and 2 1/2 cups flour. Mix then slowly add more flour if needed.

Knead till smooth and not really sticky. Place in a greased bowl and let rise till doubled.

bake in a 450 degree oven with favorite toppings! Double, or triple as necessary.

... or quadruple.

Sauce

2 cans tomato sauce

1 can tomato paste

salt

pepper

italian/pizza seasoning

garlic salt

mix together, add spices to taste

Toppings: at least our favorites

black olives

pepperoni

artichoke hearts

spinach

mushrooms

tomatoes

mozzarella cheese

onions

green pepper

So you know, just put it together like a pizza

Fresh Pasta

My dad served an LDS mission in Italy, so italian food has always been extra special in our family. For this recipe you probably want a pasta roller, you can roll it out by hand, but it doesn't get as thin.

Our family used fresh pasta most for chicken soup and raviolis. For the raviolis just food process tasty things together--cheese, sausage, spinach, ricotta, italian spices, onions, mushrooms, whatever. And fill them up.

This recipe is just approximate. Like most things we make, measurements are approximate. The process is fun and rewarding, but labor intensive, I won't lie to you. It is easier to make a box of macaroni. But, that doesn't taste half as good, and you can't have your kids in the kitchen helping you make pasta bow ties!

The method of mixing is traditional, and always how dad does it. Be ready to get a little messy.

Fresh Pasta

4 eggs
approximately 3 cups flour (semolina is nice, but all-purpose works just fine)
salt

On the counter make a little mound of flour with the salt mixed in. Create a little bowl in the mound so that you have a wide volcano of flour.

Beat up the eggs and add a little water. Pour the eggs into the volcano and start whipping your fork around in the egg mixture. This will slowly grab flour from the edges of your volcano, and the mixture will slowly get thicker. If you mix too vigorously the egg will just break through your walls and pour all over the counter. It is really hard to mix it by hand that way. Once your egg mix is sufficiently thick that it won't ooze everywhere, start mixing the flour into it by hand. Only add as much flour as you need. Keep adding flour and kneading till you have a firm not-sticky dough. On a floured counter knead the dough till it is smooth. We want lots of gluten forming!

Ideally you should be able to make a "window" with a bit of the dough. Just take a piece, and wiggly it around till you stretch it out and you have a transparent bit. That means the dough has formed enough gluten and the noodles will have a good authentic texture to them.

After you are done cover the dough with a bowl and let it rest for 30 minutes. Then put it through your pasta maker, or roll it out 1/8" thick, and cut it into pasta.

Bowl in salted water until the pasta is al dente. It should only take about 3 minutes. You can also dry the pasta and freeze it, and use it later. Just put the cut pasta on a rack and let it dry, make sure they don't stick together.

Serve with pesto, tomato sauce, browned butter and walnuts, or in chicken noodle soup.

here is a video with the mixing method I described. Dad also likes to add olive oil to the dough sometimes. Beautiful!

Shepard's Pie

Maybe Shepard's pie isn't the most unique dinner, but it might be the easiest. So, here is why I love it--I'm pretty sure that every kid likes mashed potatoes, cheese and ground beef. The combination is therefore flawless. Plus, you get to use up leftovers! Maybe it isn't the healthiest dinner out there, but many a middle school day was brightened by a shepard pie dinner.

Mom would always try to sneak in vegetables, much to our dismay. It is pretty hard to hide a can of green beans, even if it is surrounded by gravy. But, you can always try that too.

Shepard's Pie

1 pound ground beef, browned and drained

2 packages brown gravy mix, mixed with water

6 cups mashed potatoes

2 cups grated cheese

Mix gravy and ground beef

Pour ground beef in a 9x13 pan. Layer mashed potatoes on top, then cheese.

Bake at 350 degrees for about 20 minutes, or until cheese is bubbly.

Creamy Chicken Enchiladas

My 20th birthday (2009) at Grandma Brimhall's House in Toquerville Utah with a meal of chicken enchiladas, black beans and fresh salsa.

I think I have requested these for every birthday since I was 12. Usually they are served with beans. Recently our family has started serving them with fresh pico de gallo, and green chili salsa, plus extra ingredients. Personally, I always add chili powder and tabasco sauce to my chicken mix. But, this recipe is the straight up original.

Creamy Chicken Enchiladas

1 lb cheddar cheese (do we actually measure? no.)

1 pint sour cream

2 cans cream of chicken soup

1 can chopped creen chile (4 0z)

1/2 medium onion

2 dozen flour tortilla

3 chicken breast, boiled and chopped into cubes

Grate cheese.

Mix everything else in, but save about 2 cups without chicken in it.

Fill and roll tortillas.

Place in a greased casserole dish.

Put remaining sauce on top and some more grated cheese, or you can layer the enchiladas up, but always end with sauce and cheese.

Cook for 15-20 minutes in 350 degree oven, or until bubbly.