Dinner 19: Minnesota

Menu

Jucy Lucy Cheeseburgers
Minnesota Green Beans
French Fries
Strawberry Fluff Jello Salad

Review

I chose Minnesota next because I wanted a state that started with 'M' and because Mommy said we could probably have a salad made with Jello, which I thought was funny! After looking up different recipes, I decided to try a hamburger made with cheese in the middle, french fries like how they have at the state fair, green beans and a strawberry Jello salad with whipped cream in it!

I really liked the french fries - they were the best fries I've ever had! I liked the cheeseburgers, too, but thought it was a little weird to have the cheese in the middle, it was kind of messy to eat. The green beans were very yummy and I loved the Jello salad - it was bright pink and full of marshmallows! I want to have that again!

Recipes

Jucy Lucy Cheeseburgers

(original recipe from Food.com)

1 1/2 pounds ground beef
3/4 tablespoon soy sauce
1 1/2 teaspoons garlic powder
3 ounces shredded soy cheese, divided into four portions
salt and pepper, to taste

Combine beef, soy sauce, garlic powder, salt and pepper in a large bowl and mix well. Divide into 8 portions and shape into thin, round patties.

Place one portion of the shredded soy cheese on top of a patty. Cover with a second patty and tightly crimp the edges together to form a tight seal. Repeat with remaining patties.

Preheat a heavy-bottomed skillet over medium heat. Cook burgers 5 minutes, flip and, using a toothpick, poke a small hole in the top to allow steam to escape. Cook 5 more minutes, or until desired doneness.

Minnesota Green Beans

(original recipe from Cooks.com)

1 pound fresh green beans
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon oregano
1/2 teaspoon parsley
1/8 teaspoon pepper
1/8 teaspoon thyme
1/8 teaspoon basil
1/2 teaspoon salt
a dash celery salt
1 tablespoon dairy-free parmesan topping
4 tablespoons soy margarine

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Steam beans for 3 minutes, then place in an oven-proof dish. Add remaining ingredients, except margarine, and toss until beans are evenly coated. Dot with margarine and bake for 20 minutes.

French Fries

(original recipe from epicurious.com)

6 cups vegetable oil
2 pounds russet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/4-inch sticks
salt, to taste

Heat oil to 325 degrees in a heavy pot over medium heat.

Fry potatoes in batches for 1 1/2 minutes per batch and transfer by slotted spoon to paper towels to drain.

Heat oil to 350 degrees and re-fry in batches until golden brown and crisp, about 5 minutes per batch. Transfer to clean paper towels to drain.

Season with salt.

Strawberry Fluff Jello Salad

(original recipe from Grinning Cheek to Cheek)

1 large package cook-and-serve vanilla pudding
1 large package strawberry Jello
2 cups water
16 ounces dairy-free whipped topping (we used this recipe: Dairy Free Whipped Cream Frosting)
1/2 bag mini marshmallows
1 pint fresh strawberries, cut into bite-sized pieces

Pour pudding and Jello mixes into a small pan and add water. Cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, until it boils. Remove from heat and pour into a large bowl. Refrigerate until mixture thickens, about 2 hours.

Once thickened, whisk the mixture until it is creamy and few lumps are left. Add the dairy-free topping and mix lightly, then fold in the marshmallows and strawberries.

Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Dinner 18: New Hampshire

Menu

Creamy Pumpkin Soup
Maple Glazed Chicken with Carrots
Turn of the Century Baked Brown Bread
Delicious Maple Bars

Review

I chose New Hampshire because I wanted to do a small state after Texas was so big. I chose pumpkin soup, maple chicken, bread made with molasses, and maple bars. I really wanted to try all the maple food!

We still had a pumpkin leftover from Thanksgiving, so it was easy to make the soup. Mommy just roasted it and then made it into soup with some other ingredients. The soup and the bread smelled really, really good while they were cooking. The maple bars did, too, but I wasn't allowed to eat any of them early.

My favorite part of dinner was the bread, which was so so soooooo good I had to have another piece. My next favorite part was the maple bar for dessert, because it was like a big square cookie and it tasted like maple. I liked the soup and the chicken and carrots, too. Everything was really good. I like New Hampshire food a lot!

Recipes

Creamy Pumpkin Soup

(original recipe from Visit New Hampshire)

1/2 cup soy margarine
1 cup diced onion
1 cup diced celery
1/2 cup flour
1 cup sherry
2 quarts chicken stock
1 medium pumpkin, poached & peeled
1/4 cup maple syrup
salt and pepper, to taste
2 cups soy milk

Melt the butter in a small soup pot. Add the onion and celery and sauté until the onion is translucent.

Add the flour and stir to form a roux. Add the sherry and deglaze the pan, then add chicken stock and bring to a boil and reduce heat to a simmer.

Add the pumpkin and maple syrup and blend until smooth. Add the soy milk and season to taste. Allow to simmer until desired thickness.

Maple Glazed Chicken with Carrots

(original recipe from Ben's Maple Syrup)

1 tablespoon olive oil
4 boneless chicken breasts
4 servings of carrots
salt and pepper, to taste
1/2 cup chicken broth
1 tablespoon soy margarine
1/3 cup maple syrup

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Grease a baking dish with olive oil.

Place chicken breasts in the prepared dish. Surround the chicken with the carrots and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Pour chicken broth over veggies and bake in oven for 20 minutes.

While chicken is baking, melt margarine in a small sauce pan and remove from heat Add maple syrup and stir until thick and thoroughly blended.

Brush maple mixture over chicken and carrots and bake for another 15 minutes, or until chicken is done.

Turn of the Century Baked Brown Bread

(original recipe from grouprecipes.com)

2 cups soy milk
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
3 cups flour
1/2 cup cornmeal
1/2 cup dark molasses
1/2 cup sugar
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons baking soda

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and lightly flour a large loaf pan.

Mix all ingredients and pour into prepared pan. Bake about 60 minutes or until cooked through.

Delicious Maple Bars

(original recipe from Visit New Hampshire)

1/2 cup maple sugar

3/4 cup flour

1/2 cup shortening

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 cup maple syrup

1 cup crushed pretzel bits

1 egg equivalent of prepared egg replacer

1 cup rolled oats

1 teaspoon vanilla

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease an 8-inch square pan.

Mix all ingredients together. Spread mixture into prepared pan and bake 30-35 minutes, until done.

Cut into squares while still warm.

Dinner 17: Texas

Menu

Texas Chicken-Fried Steak
Tex-Mex Spiral Potatoes
Texas Sweet Onion Rings
Texas Sheet Cake

Review

I chose Texas next, just because I wanted to. I didn't really have a reason. All the foods we looked at had Texas in the name, so it was easy to find Texas food! I chose chicken-fried stead, potatoes with sauce and cheese on them, onion rings and a really big chocolate cake.

I helped make the cake, which was a lot of mixing stuff together. Then I helped pour it into the pan. And then I helped taste the batter! Yum! I also ate a couple of the onion rings before dinner to taste them, too.

I liked everything! It was a really good dinner. I really liked the onion rings, they were even better than the ones we had from Nevada. I liked the potatoes, too, but I liked them better without the sauce on them. And I liked the steak, too. My favorite was the chocolate cake, because it was soooo chocolatey and sooooo big!

Recipes

Texas Chicken-Fried Steak

(original recipe from Mr. Food)

4 beef cubed steaks
1 cup flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
2 cups soy milk, divided
2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup chicken broth

In a shallow dish, mix flour, salt and pepper. In a second shallow dish, combine 3/4 cups of the soy milk and the vinegar.

Dip the steaks in the flour mixture, pressing it into the meat, then dip into the soy milk mixture, then bad into the flour. Reserve remaining flour.

Heat oil in a large heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Add steaks and cook 3-4 minutes per side, or until done. Drain on a paper towel-lined platter and cover.

To make gravy, add remaining flour to the pan and cook 2-3 minutes until flour is browned, stirring constantly. Whisk in remaining soy milk and broth, stirring until sauce is smooth and thickened. Serve over the steak.

Tex-Mex Spiral Potatoes

(original recipe from Mr. Food)

4 large Idaho potatoes
1/4 cup olive oil
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/3 cup Texas-style barbecue sauce (recipe follows)
1/4 cup dry whole wheat bread crumbs
1/4 cup shredded soy cheddar cheese
1 teaspoon garlic powder
2 chopped scallions

Slice the bottoms off the potatoes so that they will lay flat. Place two wooden spoons parallel to each other and place a potato lengthwise between the handles. Make 8 crosswise cuts into the potato, stopping as the knife hits the spoon handles.

Place the potatoes on a microwaveable plate. Cook on high for 7 minutes, then turn the potatoes over and cook for another 7 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Carefully brush the outside of the potatoes with oil, reserving the remaining oil for the topping.

Sprinkle with salt and pepper, to taste. Place the potatoes in a baking dish, then drizzle with barbecue sauce, allowing the sauce to drip between the slices.

In a small bowl, combine bread crumbs, soy cheese, garlic powder and remaining olive oil. Top each potato with the crumb mixture.

Bake potatoes for 20 minutes, or until soft in the center. Top with chopped scallion.

Texas Style Barbecue Sauce

(original recipe from Taste of Home)

1 tablespoon soy margarine
1 small onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 cup ketchup
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup lemon juice
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 tablespoon yellow mustard
1 tablespoon soy sauce
2 teaspoons chili powder

In a large saucepan, heat margarine over medium heat. Add onion and cook until tender. Add garlic, cook 1 minute longer. Stir in remaining ingredients and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, for 15 minutes.

Texas Sweet Onion Rings

(original recipe from Texas Monthly)

3 cups soy milk
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
2 sweet onions, thinly sliced
2 cups flour
2 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons chili powder
oil, for frying

In a large bowl, whisk together soy milk and vinegar. Add onion slices and set aside for 30 minutes.

In a large dish, combine flour, salt and chili powder. Drain the onions and dredge in the flour mixture.

Pour at least 4 inches of oil into a heavy saucepan. Heat the oil to 375 degrees. Fry the onions, about 2-3 minutes, until golden. Drain on paper towels and sprinkle with salt.

Texas Sheet Cake

(original recipe from She Bakes, She Makes)

1/4 cup cocoa powder
1 cup soy margarine
1 cup water
1/2 cup soy milk
1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
2 cups sugar
2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 tablespoons water
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Texas Glaze (recipe follows)

In a medium saucepan, combine cocoa powder, margarine and 1 cup water, and bring to a boil, stirring constantly over medium heat.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Grease and flour a 15x10x1 jelly roll pan.

In a small bowl, whisk together the soy milk and vinegar. Set aside.

In a large bowl, mix together the sugar and flour. Add the cocoa mixture and blend well. Stir in the baking soda, 2 tablespoons water, soy milk mixture and vanilla.

Spread the batter evenly in the prepared pan. Bake for 20 minutes. While the cake is baking prepare the glaze.

When the cake is done, immediately spread the glaze over it.

Texas Glaze

(original recipe from allrecipes.com)

6 tablespoons soy milk

5 tablespoons cocoa powder

1/2 cup soy margarine

4 cups confectioners' sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

In a large saucepan, combine the soy milk, cocoa and margarine. Bring to a boil, then remove from the heat. Stir in the confectioners' sugar and vanilla, mixing until well blended. Spread over warm cake.

Dinner 16: Massachusetts

Menu

Cranberry Pork Chops
Boston Baked Beans
Herb-Roasted New England Potatoes
Boston Cream Pie

Review

We had Massachusetts food next because my cousins and uncle and aunt were visiting and I wanted them to try Massachusetts food. We looked at a lot of recipes, but I decided to have pork chops because they were made with cranberries inside! I also chose baked beans, potatoes and Boston cream pie, which is really more like a cake.

It took all day to make the beans - they cooked on the stove for a long time and then cooked in the oven for a long time. At first I thought they were yummy, but then I thought they were too sticky and I didn't like them anymore. I liked everything else, though! The pork chops really did have cranberries in them and on top of them, too. I didn't really like the cranberry sauce, but the pork part was good. I really, really liked the potatoes and the cream pie was the best part! It was so yummy!

Recipes

Cranberry Pork Chops

(original recipe from allrecipes.com)

1 cup fresh cranberries
1 cup sugar
1 cup orange juice
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
6 pork chops
salt and pepper, to taste
honey, to drizzle

In a medium saucepan, over medium heat, dissolve the sugar in the orange juice. Add the cranberries and cook until about half have popped. Remove from the heat, stir in the cloves and allow to cool.

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Generously greases a large glass baking dish.

Cut a pocket in the side of each pork chop and fill with the cranberry mixture. Place in the prepared dish and season with salt and pepper. Drizzle honey over each chop. Bake, uncovered, for about 45 minutes, or until done.

Boston Baked Beans

(original recipe from Boston Discovery Guide)

1 pound navy beans
2 onions, minced
6 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup molasses
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup ketchup
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons dried mustard
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 teaspoon ginger

Rinse the beans. Fill a large pot with water and bring to a boil. Add the beans and turn of the burner. Allow beans to soak for an hour.

Drain out the water and refill with enough water to cover the beans by at least 3 inches. Bring to a boil then reduce heat and simmer until the beans are just tender, about 1 hour.

Preheat the oven to 300 degrees.

Combine all remaining ingredients in a large baking dish and mix thoroughly.

When the beans are ready, remove them from the stove. Add one cup of the cooking water to the baking dish and stir to thin the mixture. Reserve the remaining cooking water.

Add the beans to the baking dish and gently stir, being careful not to crush the beans. The mixture should look pale and soupy - add more cooking water, if necessary.

Cover the dish and put it into the oven to bake. Check every hour to make sure they aren't getting too dry. If they are, add more of the cooking water and stir.

After 3 hours, remove the cover and continue baking uncovered for 1 more hour, checking frequently to ensure the beans don't get too dry. Allow the beans to cool slightly before serving.

Herb-Roasted New England Potatoes

(original recipe from Rodelle Kitchen)

2 pounds small New England red potatoes, washed and halved
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 1/2 tablespoons herbes de Provence
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.

Combine all ingredients in a large bowl. Gently toss to coat the potatoes. Place the potatoes in a baking dish and roast until tender.

Boston Cream Pie

(original recipes from Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World and Cybele Pascal)

Cake:
1 cup soy milk
1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
1 1/4 cups flour
2 tablespoons cornstarch
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup canola oil
3/4 cup sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla

Pastry Cream:
3 tablespoons cornstarch
3/4 cup soy milk
3/4 cup shortening
3/4 cup sugar
3/4 teaspoon vanilla

Ganache:
1/4 cup soy milk
4 ounces semisweet chocolate
2 tablespoons maple syrup

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Generously grease and flour a cake pan.

In a small bowl, whisk the soy milk and vinegar together and set aside.

In a large bowl, beat together the oil, sugar and vanilla. Add the soy milk mixture and beat another minute. Sift in the flour, cornstarch, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Mix thoroughly until no large lumps remain.

Pour batter into the prepared pan and bake for 30 minute or until done. Transfer to a cooling rack and cool completely.

To make the pastry cream, whisk together the cornstarch and soy milk in a small saucepan until no lumps remain. Bring to just below a simmer over medium-low heat, stirring continuously with a wooden spoon. Once it thickens to the consistency of pudding (this happens very quickly once it begins to thicken), remove from heat and stir vigorously until smooth. Set aside to cool.

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the shortening and sugar on medium speed for 3 minutes. Add the vanilla and continue to beat while adding the cooled soy milk mixture. Beat for 2-3 minutes, scraping down the sides as necessary. Set aside.

To make the ganache, bring the soy milk to a gentle boil in a small saucepan. Immediately remove from heat and add the chocolate and maple syrup. Use a rubber spatula to mix the chocolate until it is fully melted and smooth. Set aside.

To assemble the pie, slice the cake in half horizontally. Spread the pastry cream on the bottom layer, place the top layer of the cake on top, then spoon about half the ganache over the cake, let set for about 5 minutes, then spoon the rest of the ganache over the cake.