All-American Feast

Hotdogs
To make hotdogs follow the directions on the package...or watch the instructional video hosted by Andrew (see bottom of the page).
Serve with hotdog buns and potato chips on the side.

Roasted Corn
Ingredients:
15 ears corn
1/4 cup olive oil
2 gloves garlic, minced
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
1. Husk the corn.  Break each ear in half to make 30 pieces.
2. Heat the oil in a small pan and add the garlic to make a garlic-infused oil.
3. Place the corn on a baking sheet and rub each ear with the oil (after it cools slightly).
4. Roast in a 400 degree oven for 20 minutes until golden in spots.



Baked Beans
Ingredients:

4 large cans vegetarian-style baked beans
2 large onions, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced

Directions:
Mix all ingredients together and divide between baking dishes.  Bake in a 350 degree oven for 20 minutes until heated.


Apple Pie
(This makes 4 pies!)
Ingredients:
Crust
9 sticks butter, diced and divided
2 cups Earth Balance (vegan butter alternative)
16 cups flour, divided
4 teaspoons salt, divided
Ice water
Filling
12 large apples of mixed varieties, sliced (with or without skin, or a combination of both)
3 cups sugar
3 Tablespoons cinnamon
6 Tablespoons flour

Directions:
To make the crust work in four stages.  For one recipe combine three diced sticks of butter with 3 cups of flour and 1 teaspoon salt.  Mix until the butter is crumbly and looks like cornmeal.  Add enough ice water to form into a ball.  Do the same for the vegan crust replacing the butter with Earth Balance.  Divide each recipe into 2 balls, wrap in plastic wrap, flatten into a disc, and refrigerate.

For the filling combine all ingredients.

Roll out each disc of dough and place into a pie dish.  Place about a quarter of the filling into the crust and then cover the top in a lattice-top pattern.  Sprinkle the top of the pies with sugar.  Bake in a 375 degree oven for about an hour until browned.  Note, it is a good idea to place the pies on a baking dish to catch any juices.

Pictures from top to bottom:

Maria works her arm muscles rolling out pie dough for the crusts.

Melissa and the last completed pie (finally!  Hand-rolling is tough business!)

Adam and Andrew  pose and point at their roasted corn.

Jill and Maria decorate Jill's "patriotic vegan red velvet cupcakes" (check out the recipe at her blog).

Apple pie!

Christine smiles big as she waits for dinner.
Antonio and his "All-American Feast!"

The feast!  (and Tori Shelton)
Peter and Maria look very pretty in pink.

The apple pies featured with the main pastry chef, Melissa.  Can you spot the vegan?  (pie, that is...extra credit if you can spot both the vegan and vegetarian, people that is).

 

Baked Potato Bar

Baked Potatoes
Bake 50 potatoes (depending on size) in a 400 degree oven for 30 minutes.  Before you place the potatoes in the oven prick each one with a fork.
Serve the potatoes with a variety of toppings:
crispy bacon
diced onions
hummus
sour cream
cheese
brocolli
black beans

Bacon: 
bacon

                   
Strawberry Shortcake
Ingredients:
3 loaves pound cake
6 pounds strawberries, hulled and sliced
2 lemons
1 cup sugar
2 large tubs
6 chickens

 People
Ingredients:
1 soul
1 heart
1 brain
various appendiges
humor 
hair (hopefully)


  

Cheese Sauce 
Ingredients:
uh...cheese, heat, and...yellow dye?
and one very happy, very tall man to eat it!

plate of goop.  yumm!

This post brought to you courtesy of honorary Magis member.  
Some recipes may contain slight inaccuracies not approved by Ms. Otter or her associates.  Make sure to thoroughly cook all meats to prevent poisoning and early death.  Please do not try to cook or make any humans.

Spinach Quesadillas

(Recipe taken and adapted from the Los Angeles Times)

Ingredients:
Oil
1 large onion, minced
3 pounds fresh spinach
3 teaspoons salt
1 1/2 teaspoons crushed red pepper
6 teaspoons garlic, minced
3 cups feta cheese crumbles
3/4 pound low-moisture mozzarella, diced
36 corn tortillas

Directions:

1. Heat 3 tablespoons oil in a large skillet. Add the onion and cook until it softens and begins to color, 3 to 5 minutes.
2. When the onion is ready, add the spinach. Season with salt and red pepper, sprinkle with garlic and cook, stirring frequently, until the spinach is quite tender, about 15 minutes.  Remove from the heat and stir in the feta.
3. Heat 2 teaspoons oil on a griddle over medium heat; use a spatula to distribute it so the surface is evenly covered. If you don't have a large griddle, you can use a skillet, but you'll have to cook the quesadillas in more than one batch. Add the tortillas and cook on one side until they have softened, 2 to 3 minutes. Flip them to the other side and spoon 2 to 3 tablespoons of the spinach in the center. Sprinkle over some of the diced mozzarella and use a spatula to fold the tortilla in half around the filling.
4. Cook until the tortilla begins to brown on one side, 2 to 3 minutes, and then flip onto the other side and cook until the tortilla browns on that side and the mozzarella is melted, about 2 to 3 minutes more. If some of the melting cheese oozes onto the griddle, that's even better. Repeat if necessary to use up all of the tortillas and filling.
5. Serve immediately, or keep warm in a 250-degree oven until all of the quesadillas have been made.

Note: for your vegans, omit the cheese in some of the quesadillas.

Pictures from top to bottom:

Christine poses by the "Edible Creation" her Mom sent the Magis teachers.  Thank you, Christine's mom!

Christine stirs spinach as it reduces down to half its size (always amazing to see!).

Tori smiles in the middle of dishwashing.
Jill gets rice ready for the rice cooker (a better option than the stovetop).

Sara helps with a quick cleanup in between helping with cooking.

Christine heats a corn tortilla.

What a delicious looking meal!

Brandon puts the finishing touches on the quesadillas.

Magi in their element, waiting for dinner to be announced.

Our film guest in the background getting setup to film us!

Sara expresses thanks for the meal as she is being filmed by our guest filming for the new Magis video.

Brandon describes the meal and the procedure for getting in line (in his very best teacher voice, of course!).

Jill shows the camera her plate, with a look of intense hunger.

Maria is the only one who notices a picture is being taken.  The others are intent about getting dinner.

Pan-Seared Pasta

 This origin of this recipe hails from the Spalding community.  It is the brain child of Emily Taber, inspired by Noodles and Company.  In an effort to share a little bit of life from the Spalding, NE community, Emily and her cooking crew made this meal for the larger Magis community...and it was a hit.

Pasta
Ingredients:
5 pounds of penne pasta
6 large onions, chopped
10 roma tomatoes, diced (or 5 pints of grape tomatoes)
4 cloves garlic, minced
3 bags spinach
2 cups feta cheese, optional (to serve on the side)

Directions:
1. Cook the pasta according to package directions.
2. Sauté the onions until soft.  Add the tomatoes and garlic and heat.
3. Add the pasta (this might have to be done in stages/separate pans) and sear until some of the noodles are brown and crisp.
4. Add the spinach and heat through.
Serve with chicken on the side.

Garlic Bread
Ingredients:
5 loaves Italian bread, cut lengthwise
1 stick butter, melted
3 Tablespoons garlic salt

Directions:
1. Mix the garlic salt with the melted butter.
2. Spread this mixture on the bread.
3. Bake at a 350 degree oven for 15-20 minutes until browned.

Asparagus
Ingredients:
2 large bunches asparagus
Seasonings to taste
2 cloves garlic, minced

Directions:
1. Wash and trim the asparagus (pat dry).
2. Rub the green stalks with olive oil and season.
3. Bake in a 400 degree oven for 20 minutes.
4. At 15 minutes sprinkle the garlic over the asparagus and heat for 5 minutes more.

Pictures from top to bottom:

Michelle displays the raw chicken to be used for dinner.

Emily means business when she slices the raw chicken.

Jill prepares that evening's garlic bread.

Michelle snaps the tips off the asparagus before they are roasted in the oven.

Jill puts the finishing touches on the table...and dinner is ready to be served!

Mary Frances piled high with this meal!

Sloppy Joes

Sloppy Joes
Ingredients:
10 pounds ground beef
1 green bell pepper, diced
1 onion, diced
5 cans tomato soup
2 quarts catsup
3 Tablespoons chili powder

Directions:
1. Cook the meat until browned.
2. Place all ingredients in a crock pot and let simmer on low all afternoon.

Black Bean "Joes"
Ingredients:
1 can black beans
1 can tomato soup
1 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 green bell pepper, diced
1/2 onion, diced

Directions:
Saute all ingredient and heat through.

Cheesy Potatoes
Ingredients:
1 bag shredded potato hash browns
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
1 can cream of mushroom soup

Directions:
Mix ingredients and bake in a casserole pan at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.

Serve buns on the side.
Serve with a green salad (romaine, tomatoes, and carrots) and sliced watermelon.

Below is video of an interview with Robert:

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Pictures from top to bottom:

Robert and Rebecca proudly display the feast.
Andrew is ready to eat!
Jill fiercely slices watermelon for dinner.

Miriam and Peter prepare the salad.

Robert helps Peter chop the two big bags of carrots.

Melissa takes a whiff of the sloppy joe mixture that has simmered all day.
Maria does the same.

Breakfast for Dinner

This group prepared a breakfast feast complete with pancakes (including a vegan variety), crustless quiche (several flavors worth), bacon, and fruit salad.

Fruit Salad
For the fruit salad choose a medley of produce to suit the tastes of your mates.  For this blend Sarah sliced cantaloupe, bananas, and strawberries.

Crustless Quiche
(adapted from The Joy of Cooking)
Ingredients:
2 dozen eggs
9 cups milk
2 large green bell peppers, diced
2 large onions, diced
3 gloves garlic, minced
seasonings to taste
4 cups shredded cheese

Directions:
(This can be done in stages to make the measuring, mixing, and dividing easier--we made the quiches in three stages.  If you choose for this option, divide the ingredients by three before starting the quiche-making process).

1. Combine the eggs and milk in a large bowl and set aside.
2. In a large saute pan sear the pepper and onions.  Once these are softened, add the garlic and seasonings.  Heat through.
3. Add the vegetable mixture to the egg-milk mixture.  Add the cheese.  Mix well.*
4. Divide this among 3 large pans (or 2 large pans and 2 smaller pans.   See * below).
5. Bake in a 350 degree oven for about 30 minutes (the tops will be golden).

*If you want to leave a plain quiche, reserve part of the egg mixture and place in a smaller pan.

Pancakes
This group prepared 4 boxes of store bought pancake mix.  They added chocolate chips to half of the batter to make chocolate chip pancakes.  Jill made a batch of Vegan Pancakes that were enjoyed by some.  See recipe below.

Ingredients:
(taken from-and adpated-www.vegweb.com)
3Tablespoon flax seed
3 Tablespoon water
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup soy milk
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1/2 rice flour (or wheat flour)
1/2 cup all purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons sugar   
[Optional: 1/4 cup cocoa powder, to make chocolate pancakes]

Directions:
1. Combine the flax seed and water and mix until thickened (this serves as your egg replacement so the concoction should be about the consistency of a beaten egg).  Set aside.
2, Mix the dry ingredients together in a large bowl (reserve the cocoa powder for when you have used about half your batter.  If you choose to add the cocoa powder you can mix it into the remaining batter).
3. Add the flax seed, vanilla, and milk.  Mix until just incorporated.
4. Use a pan or griddle to cook until golden.

Bacon
Cook the bacon according to the package directions.

Pictures from top to bottom:

Sarah puts a fruit salad together.

Andy is intent about cracking that egg.

Jill dumps pancake mix into a bowl.

Patrick is serious about the bacon (and the apron).

Andy creatively sizzles bacon on a baking sheet.*

Andy presents the meal along with grace.

Katy poses for a quick picture before digging into her meal.

*It was a failed experiment in which Melissa promised to come when Andy beckoned, but ended up neglecting him when the pan started to pop and bend from the heat and the pan smoked.  No fire was started in the process.