Dutch Oven Lasagna

I used a 12" deep. Next time, I will do a normal 12" dutch oven.

Begin by layering spaghetti sauce (recipe posted earlier), on bottom of dutch oven. Then layer oven ready lasagna noodles (may need to break to fit in dutch oven), then layer cottage cheese and cheddar cheese, then repeat. Do as many layers as you can fit in your dutch oven.

Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour. 8-10 coals on bottom 14-16 coals on top.

We enjoyed this, and I hope you will enjoy it as well.

My Spaghetti Sauce

1 # 10 can crushed tomatoes
2/3 cup Spicy spaghetti seasoning mix
1 - 2 T. parsley
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1/4 tsp. oregano
1 tsp. Rosemary and Garlic Seasoning
Chopped onion
Chopped green pepper
1 or 2 carrots sliced into coins
1 lb ground beef or sausage

Brown ground beef or sausage, with onions and green peppers. Mix all together. Bring to a boil and turn to low and let simmer at least 2 hours, stirring occasionally.

This gives me enough spaghetti sauce for 2 meals. I freeze it in a gallon size ziploc bag and date it. I have it for a day that I need a quick meal or take it camping with me.

I don't always put ground beef or sausage in this. Sometimes I make spinach lasagna and don't want to have the meat in there.

I hope you enjoy this. I haven't done it in a dutch oven yet, but you most definitely could.

Kalamata Roast

This is the roast that I made for this weeks Sunday Dinner. It was published in Scouting magazine by my friend in the Dominican Republic. It calls for a beef roast but I used a Pork one instead.

I cooked this in my house. I set it too cook for 3 hours at 250 degrees. It turned out great. Hope you will enjoy it.


Kalamata Roast

First, you’ll need to preheat your 12-inch Dutch oven to about 275 degrees. That means you’ll want to place 13 coals on top and 7 coals on bottom.

Ingredients

•3- to 4-pound beef chuck roast, bone in or boneless
•¾ cup beef broth
•½ cup brown sugar
•1½ teaspoon oregano
•1 teaspoon basil
•1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
•1 teaspoon salt
•1 teaspoon pepper
•1 large garlic clove, chopped
•½ cup sun-dried tomatoes packed in oil, sliced into thin strips
•½ cup kalamata olives, pitted and sliced
•1 (10-ounce) jar or 1 cup fresh or frozen pearl onions (not pickled)

Brown roast on all sides in Dutch oven. Pour beef broth over entire surface of roast. Evenly sprinkle remaining ingredients on top in the order listed. Cook low and slow for 3-5 hours. You can maintain this low simmer by placing two additional coals on top and two below every hour or so, depending on the weather.

Note: If you have any leftovers (fat chance), chunk up the meat, pour your favorite marinara sauce over it, heat, and serve with pasta. Amazing!

SERVES ABOUT 8-10



I also made a really good Rice Pilaf. I got the recipe from Cooks.com

Rice Pilaf
1/2 cup butter
2 to 2 1/2 cups boiling water, chicken stock or water in boullion cubes
1/4 cup lemon juice
1 tsp salt
1 c long grain rice

Melt butter in heavy saucepan. Add rice and saute over low heat for several minutes until butter is bubbly. Add boiling liquid, salt and lemon juice and stir once or twice. Cover pan tightly and cook over low heat for about 20 minutes or until rice has absorbed all liquid. The trick to making perfect pilaf is too add boiling liquid to the sauted rice and then not remove the cover until the rice is cooked. You can peek after 15 minutes to make sure no additional liquid in necessary. 4 to 6 servings.


Whole Wheat Dinner Rolls (This is one of our favorites)
2 Tbsp SAF instant yeast
1/2 cup plus 1 Tablespoon sugar
2 teaspoons salt
3 cups whole wheat flour
2 1/4 cups warm water
1/4 cup shortening
2 eggs
3 1/2 to 4 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup butter or margarine, melted

In a large mixing bowl, mix together yeast, sugar, salt and wheat flour. Then add water, eggs and shortening and mix. Add all purpose flour one cup at a time, until a soft dough is formed. Turn onto a floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic, about 6 to 8 minutes. Place in a greased bowl, turning once to grease top. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1 hour. Punch dough down. Divide into four portions; shape each into 12 balls. Place 1 inch apart on greased baking sheets. Cover and let rise until doubled, about 25 minutes. Bake at 375 degrees for 11-15 minutes or until browned. Brush with butter. Makes about 4 dozen. I like to do a crescent roll, so I will roll out some of the dough into a circle and cut triangles and roll them up into crescents.

This is a great recipe.

Hope you enjoy.

Recipes from the RV show

This is a pork stew recipe that got lots of rave reviews at the RV show on Friday, February 17.

Savory Pork Stew

2 Tbsp Olive Oil
1 lb boneless pork shoulder, cut into 3/4 inch pieces
2 cans condensed cream of celery soup (or you can use any cream soup)
1 1/2 cups apple juice
1/4 tsp pepper
1/4 tsp. caraway seed
2 medium red potatoes, cut into chunks
3 carrots, diagonally sliced
3 cups coarsely chopped cabbage
1/2 cup milk

In a small Dutch Oven over medium heat, in hot oil, cook pork until browned on all sides. Add soup, juice, pepper and caraway. Heat to boiling. Reduce heat to low. Cover; cook 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Add potatoes and carrots. Cover; cook 10 minutes. Add cabbage. Cover; cook 15 minutes or until vegetables are tender.

Add milk. Heat through, stirring occasionally. Do not Boil.
Makes about 8 cups or 6 main dishes.

This recipe is courtesy of Bakin' Bill Johnson. One of my friends who is a great dutch oven chef.





This one was also one that got lots of great reviews. In fact, Brian Woolley from Channel 2 really liked it.

Spicy Pasta and Bean Soup

Olive oil cooking spray
1 medium onion, finely chopped (about 1/2 cup)
1 clove garlic, minced
2 cans condensed tomato soup
2 soup cans water
1 cup canned small white beans, rinsed and drained (can use dried beans cooked)
1 can (4 oz) chopped green chilies
1 cup cubed cooked chicken
1 cup cooked small shell macaroni (about 1/2 cup dry)

Spray 10 inch Dutch Oven with olive oil cooking spray.
Heat over medium heat 1 minute. Add onion and garlic; cook until onion is tender, stirring often.

Stir in soup, water, beans and chilies. Heat to boiling. Add chicken and macaroni. Heat through, stirring occasionally. Makes 7 1/2 cups or 5 servings.


This recipe is courtesy of my friend Bakin' Bill Johnson.

Utah Boat Show recipes

Last Weekend February 10 and 11 I had the opportunity to share my love of Dutch Oven cooking
doing demonstrations. I made 2 different dishes. These were cooked on a campstove with a kitchen dutch oven, but you can do them with charcoal briquets and a camp dutch oven.

Mandarin chicken
1 can condensed chicken broth, divided
2 Tbsp cornstarch
1/4 cup vinegar
1/4 cup sugar
1 Tbsp soy sauce
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1 can (8 oz) sliced water chestnuts, drained
1 lb skinless, boneless chicken breasts, cut into 1 inch chunks
1 small green or sweet red pepper, cut into strips
1 can mandarin oranges, drained
hot cooked rice

In a cup, stir together 1/4 cup of broth and the cornstarch until well blended; set aside. In a 10-inch cast-iron skillet over medium heat, combine remaining broth, vinegar, sugar, soy sauce, ginger and water chestnuts. Heat mixture to boiling.
Add chicken to skillet. Reduce heat to low. Cook 10 minutes. Add green pepper; cook 3 minutes more or until chicken is no longer pink.
Stir in cornstarch mixture. Cook over medium heat until mixture boils and thickens, stirring constantly. Gently stir in oranges.
Serve over rice. Garnish with orange peel and fresh parsley sprig, if desired.
Makes about 4 cups or 4 servings

This recipe is courtesy of my friend Bakin' Bill Johnson



Tomato Beef Stew
1/2 lb ground beef
1 can condensed tomato soup
1/2 soup can water
1 cup frozen cut green beans
1/2 cup frozen sliced carrots
1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce

In small dutch oven over medium heat, cook beef until browned and no longer pink, stirring to separate meat. Spoon off fat. Stir in soup and water. Add beans, carrots, and Worcestershire sauce. Heat to simmering. Cook 10 minutes or until vegetables are tender, stirring occasionally. Garden Vegetable Beef Stew: Prepare Tomato Beef Stew as directed above, except substitute 1 1/2 cups frozen mixed vegetables for the green beans and carrots. Add vegetables as directed above.
Makes about 3 cups or 2 main dish servings.

The people who tasted these said they were very good. Of course, I think they are good recipes as well.

This recipe is courtesy of my friend Bakin' Bill Johnson

Davis County Fair 8-20-11

August 20, 2011 my 3 kids and I did the Davis County Fair cook-off. We had lots of fun. We met some people who were new to dutch oven competitions, but they did a great job. I like that every team came home with some great prizes. For this competition, Thomas and I were on one team and we made Apple Stuffed Pork Tenderloin with apple cider sauce, Lavender Rolls, and Applesauce Cake. For the lavender rolls, I cut lavender that I grow in my front yard, and I used the flowers from that for my rolls. I got a lot of compliments on these rolls. Usually, I use Rosemary, but decided I would like to try lavender. Here are the recipes that I used:

Apple-stuffed Pork Loin with Cider Sauce

Serves 6-8

12” dutch oven

For the stuffing:

2 Tablespoons Olive Oil 1 ½ Cups Chopped red Delicious apple

1 cup chopped yellow onion 1 garlic clove, finely chopped

½ cup finely chopped dried apples or

½ cup finely chopped dried apricots ¼ cup raisins

¼ teaspoon dried thyme salt and pepper to taste

½ cup apple cider

1 boneless pork loin, 2 ½ lbs

¼ tsp dried thyme salt and pepper to taste

1 cup apple cider, plus more as needed 2 teaspoons cornstarch

Directions:

To make the stuffing, in a 12” dutch oven warm the olive oil. Add and apple and onion and saute until golden, about 5 minutes. (Use about 16 coals on bottom). Stir in the garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add the dried apples or apricots, raisins and thyme, and season with salt and pepper. Add the apple cider and boil, (may need to add more briquets) stirring occasionally, until the cider is absorbed by the stuffing, about 5 minutes. Let cool slightly.

Cut the pork loin down the length, but do not cut all the way through, leaving a 2 inch area on each end uncut. Sprinkle with Salt and pepper and spoon the stuffing evenly onto the meat. Close up the loin and, using kitchen string cut into 18” pieces, tie at even intervals so it assumes its original shape. Push in any stuffing that escapes from the ends. Sprinkle the surface with the thyme, and season with salt and pepper. Place the loin in the dutch oven and add ½ cup if the cider to the pan.

Cook the loin for 30 minutes at 400 degrees. Baste with the pan juices and add the remaining ½ cup cider to the pan. Continue to cook, basting at least twice with the pan juices at regular intervals, until the meat reaches an internal temperature of 150 degrees, about 45 minutes more.

Transfer the loin to a cutting board and cover loosely with foil. Scrape the pan bottom to dislodge any remaining bits, then pour the pan juices into a measuring pitcher and add additional cider as needed to measure 1 ½ cups total. Pour ¼ cup pan juices into dutch oven and the cornstarch and stir until the cornstarch is dissolved. Then add the remaining pan juices, Bring to a boil over medium heat, about 12 – 14 briquettes and cook, stirring, until the sauce is slightly thickened, about 5 minutes. Taste and adjust the seasonings. Pour the sauce into a small container.

Cut the loin into slices and arrange on a warmed platter. Serve the hot cider sauce on the side.

It is really good to serve with parsleyed carrots.

Parsleyed Carrots

10” dutch oven

350 degrees

1 – 2 lb bag baby carrots, or 8 large carrots, peeled, cut and quartered

½ cup water

½ cup butter

2 Tablespoons parsley flakes

Put all in a 10” dutch oven, and cook with 8-10 coals on bottom and 14-16 coals on top, for about 1 ½ hours until carrots are tender.

Applesauce Cake

Cake:

3 cups sugar

1 ½ Cups butter, softened

1 tsp. salt

3 tsp. cinnamon

1 ½ tsp. nutmeg

1 tsp. ground cloves (Grandma’s Country)

1 ½ Tbs. cocoa powder

¼ cup cold water

3 tsp. baking soda

3 cups applesauce

6 cups all purpose flour (Deseret Mills)

1 ½ cups raisins

1 ½ cup coarse chopped nuts

Directions:

In a large bowl cream together sugar, butter, and salt. Add cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and cocoa powder; cream well. Stir soda into cold water then add to applesauce. Mix applesauce then flour into wet ingredients. Stir in raisins and nuts.

Grease and flour the bottom and sides of a 12” dutch oven. Pour batter into dutch oven and spread evenly to sides. Bake using 8-10 briquettes on bottom and 14 -16 briquettes on tope for 60-90 minutes or until knife or toothpick inserted into center of cake comes out clean. For best results rotate oven and lid 90 degrees in opposite directions every 15 minutes while baking. Allow cake to cool in pan for 15 minutes. Invert cake onto a cooling rack and finish cooling. Cut cake in half horizontally. Separate halves.

Frosting:

8 oz. brick cream cheese; softened

½ cup butter; room temperature

3 cups powdered sugar

1 tsp. vanilla

Cream together all ingredients until lumps are all gone and frosting is smooth.

Assemble Cake:

Set 1 cake layer on a plate cut side up. Spread frosting across the top of cake half. Top with second cake layer, cut side down. Frost top and sides with remaining frosting.

Serves 12-15

Sweet Rosemary (Lavender) Rolls

Dough:

2 cups whole wheat flour

3 Tablespoons Rosemary or Lavender, finely chopped

2 Tablespoons active dry yeast

2 tsp. salt

2 ¼ cups warm water, (120 degrees)

½ cup honey

3 Tablespoons Olive Oil

3 – 4 cups white bread flour

cornmeal

Glaze:

2 Tablespoons honey

2 Tablespoons warm water

In a mixing bowl add whole wheat flour, rosemary, yeast and salt. Stir to mix. Add warm water, honey, and olive oil; mix well. Stir in white bread flour 1 cup at a time until a soft dough is formed.

Turn dough onto a floured surface and knead for 5-7 minutes, adding flour as necessary, until dough is smooth and elastic. Set dough in a lightly oiled bowl then turn dough over so the top has a light coating of oil. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and a hot towel and set in a warm place free from drafts to raise until doubled, about 1 hour.

Lightly grease a 12-inch dutch oven, then dust bottom of dutch oven with cornmeal.

Place raised dough on a lightly floured board and punch down. Cut dough into 13 pieces. Form pieces into balls and place them in prepared dutch oven, 8 around the outside edge, 4 in an inner circle, and 1 in the center. Place lid on dutch oven and let raise for 30 minutes.

In a small cup or bowl combine honey with water and stir until honey is dissolved. Brush rolls lightly with glaze then bake using 10-12 briquettes bottom and 18-20 briquettes on top for 20-25 minutes until rolls are golden brown. To ensure even browning make sure to rotate the oven and lid in opposite directions every 5-10 minutes.

I hope you will try these recipes and really enjoy them. These come from a great page, called Byron's dutch oven recipes. I have not been brave enough to try coming up with my own recipes yet.

Jennifer and Stephen were on a team together and they took 5th place. They did Barbeque Ribs, Featherlight Rolls, and Stephen's favorite cherry chocolate cake. I am going to post their recipes here. I hope you will try them and enjoy them.

Feather Light Rolls

12” Dutch oven

1 Tablespoon SAF instant yeast

¼ cup instant milk powder

1 ¼ cups warm water

¼ cup sugar

¼ cup vegetable oil

2 large eggs

3 ½ cups flour

1 tsp. Salt

1-2 pkgs. Ranch Dressing mix

1/3 - 1/2 stick butter, melted

In a large bowl add 2 ½ cups flour, yeast, ranch dressing and sugar and mix. Then add warm water (115 degrees), eggs, and vegetable oil. Mix these together for a full minute. Slowly add the salt and the remaining flour until dough is soft. (You may need a bit more or less flour). Knead the dough for 5 minutes. Put the dough in a greased bowl, and roll the dough around so it is all coated with oil. Cover the dough with plastic wrap and a hot towel (run the towel under hot water), and let rise until double in size, about 30 minutes.

Melt butter in a dutch oven. After the dough has risen, drop the dough ball on an oiled, clean flat area. Oil or butter your hands and shape the dough into a round ball. Squeeze out a 1 ½ “ – 2” piece of dough and form into a ball. Put each roll into the bottom of the dutch oven and roll around in the butter to cover all sides. Set the roll seam side down leaving a nice rounded side on top. Arrange the rolls so they touch each other. Cover the dutch oven with the lid, and let the rolls rise until double.

Put dutch oven on coals (8-10) and then about 16-18 on top. Allow to bake. It can take anywhere from 25 – 40 minutes for the rolls to cook.

These rolls are great served with honey butter.

Honey Butter

½ cup butter, softened

½ cup Miller’s honey

Put your butter in a bowl. Whip the butter until it is light and fluffy. Then slowly add the honey and whip together, until all is mixed.

Enjoy!!

Barbequed Ribs

1 family pack ribs (bone in or boneless)

Sea salt (to taste)

Lemon Pepper (to taste)

Put the ribs in a 12” or 14” dutch oven. Cook with 16-18 coals on top and 9-10 coals on bottom for 60 – 90 minutes. After 45 minutes, baste with barbeque sauce.

Favorite barbeque sauce

1 ½ cups ketchup 1 tsp. Salt

1 cup white vinegar 1 tsp. Garlic powder

½ cup balsamic vinegar 1 tsp. Onion powder

¾ cup molasses ¼ cup salsa

¾ cup honey

In a 10” dutch oven, combine all ingredients and whisk until smooth. Cook using 14 – 16 briquettes on bottom until mixture comes to a boil. Reduce briquettes on bottom to 10 and let simmer uncovered for 30-40 minutes until sauce thickens slightly.

Yield: About 4 cups

For some reason I can't get the dessert for this one to post. I do hope you will enjoy the other recipes that I posted though.

Dutch oven cooking is a lot of fun. I have found that the cooks who go to these cook-offs, are really friendly, and they seem to enjoy helping others learn. I noticed at this competition that some of us forgot things, but other teams were willing to lend what they could to others. All are really willing to share knowledge as well as ingredients.

Enjoy your adventures with dutch oven cooking.

West Haven days cook-off

Saturday - June 25, 2011

Today we did the West Haven days cook-off. Thomas decided he didn't want to do it, so Krystal joined me. We made our Calico Chicken, Sweet Rosemary rolls, and a carrot pineapple cake. We didn't place, but the judges were willing to give us some good hints. We did get a cash award for participating and a cooler. I gave Krystal the cooler, and when we got home I mentioned that Stephen thought we should buy another dutch oven. My son in law David said don't you have enough. I said nope.

Jennifer and Stephen were on a team. They made barbeque ribs, featherlight ranch rolls, and a triple chocolate cherry cake. They didn't place, but they both had fun, and their food was really good.

So, do we do these cook-offs to win first place? not really. They are fun, and we learn a lot each time we do one. We have met lots of great friends and it is fun to see them at each of the cook-offs that we go to. It is like a big family reunion. Some day it would be great to win first place and go to world's, but more importantly, it is the bonding that I am doing with my children. We have fun doing these cook-offs together.