Apple and Pear Crisp

A great autumnal dessert :-9  Not too complicated, either!

Apple and Pear Crisp

2 apples -- chopped
2 pears -- chopped
1/2 cup dried cranberries
2 Tbsp. honey
1 1/2 tbsp. lemon juice
1/2 cup + 1 Tbsp. Flour
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup quick oats
1/4 cup walnuts -- chopped

 Mix the apples, pears, dried cranberries, 1 tbsp. flour, honey, and lemon juice in a greased 1 quart baking dish. In a large bowl, mix butter, flour, sugar, oats, and walnuts. Sprinkle over fruit. Bake at 375 degrees for 30 to 40 minutes.

Cabbage with Mushrooms and Bacon

Mmmmm.  Bacon.  Mmmmm.  Mushrooms.  As always, use a scissors to cut up your uncooked bacon -- way easier than trying to use a knife!

Cabbage with Mushrooms and Bacon

1 small cabbage -- chopped
1/2  lb. thick-sliced bacon -- cut into 1" pieces
8 cloves garlic -- sliced thin
1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper
1 tsp. salt
1 lb. sliced mushrooms
1 cup water
1/2  lb. Penne Rigate

In stewpot, sauté bacon and garlic until bacon is almost done. Add crushed red pepper and cook and stir 1 minute. Add salt, mushrooms and half of cabbage. Cover and simmer 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add remaining cabbage and 1/2 cup of water. Simmer covered for 20 minutes. Start cooking Penne Rigate according to package. Add 1/2 cup water and simmer 20 more minutes. Uncover and simmer for 10 minutes. Add pasta and stir to mix.

Cabbage Beef Casserole

This recipe makes me feel like I'm safely back in the Midwest :-)

Cabbage Beef Casserole


1/2  lb. ground beef
1 cup onion -- chopped
5 cups cabbage -- sliced 1 1/2” thick
1 carrot -- sliced thin
1/8 tsp. pepper
1 1/4 tsp. salt
1/2  cup rice -- uncooked
1 cup beef broth
1/2  cup water

In 5-quart kettle, fry ground beef until well-browned and drain fat. Saute onions and remove from heat. Add cabbage, carrots, pepper and salt. Toss to mix well. Pour rice into a greased 3-quart casserole. Spread beef mixture on top of rice. Pour beef bouillon and water over mixture. Cover and bake 1 hour and 15 minutes at 350 degrees. Stir every 25 minutes and before serving.

Buttery Shrimp and Radish Pasta

Not a lot of recipes call for radishes, which is probably why we tried this in the first place.  Don't make this if you don't like butter!

Buttery Shrimp and Radish Pasta

1 box linguine -- cooked according to package
2 bunches radishes with greens
2 cloves garlic -- sliced
8 Tbsp. butter -- divided
12 oz. small shrimp -- peeled, deveined, tail off
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper

Remove radish greens and wash thoroughly. Remove stems and set aside. Trim radishes and slice thin. Sauté radishes and garlic in 2 tbsp. butter until crisp-tender. Add radish greens and sauté until wilted. Remove radish mix from skillet and set aside. Add shrimp and sauté in 2 Tbsp. butter until cooked through. Return radish mix to skillet. Season with salt and pepper and heat through. Add remaining 1/4 cup butter and melt. Add pasta and toss to coat.

Bunny Tuna Salad Sandwiches

A fast, yummy variation on the tuna salad sandwich.

Bunny Tuna Salad Sandwiches

2 cans tuna -- drained
2/3 cup mayo
2/3 cup raisins
1/2  cup carrots -- shredded
1/2  cup celery

Mix together in a medium bowl. Serve on bread.

Cheesy Spinach Skillet

You can make this with fresh spinach instead if you want -- it would probably use about 4 cups of chopped up fresh spinach.  But frozen is cheaper and easier.  We eat this as a main dish, but you could use it as a side if you wanted to.

Cheesy Spinach Skillet

1 cup rice -- cooked
1/2  cup shredded Cheddar
1 package frozen spinach -- thawed
2 cups onion -- chopped
1 1/2  Tbsp. oil
1 clove garlic -- minced
1 1/2  Tbsp. soy sauce 

In a large skillet, saute the onions and garlic in oil until onions are transparent. Stir in cooked rice and put spinach leaves on top. Cover the pan and cook over medium heat for 5 minutes. Stir the leaves into the rice mixture underneath. Add the cheese and soy sauce; stir until the cheese melts and holds the mixture together somewhat -- add more cheese if necessary.

(Note:  More cheese is generally necessary, isn't it?)