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Chile Verde Burritos

from the Sister’s Cafe

I love this recipe! To see a picture click here

1 1/2 pounds pork roast, fat removed as much as possible (I use a beef roast)
1 onion chopped
3 cloves garlic crushed
1 10oz can green enchilada sauce
1 4oz can diced green chilis
1 14oz can diced tomatoes with chilis
2 chicken bouillon cubes
½ tsp cumin
½ tsp oregano
¼ tsp pepper
Monetary Jack Cheese
Cilantro
Lettuce
Onions
Tomatoes
Sour Cream

In a large heavy pot, over medium heat, brown meat (I skip browning it and just saute garlic and onions), then add onion and garlic and sauté a few minutes.
Stir remaining ingredients in a crockpot, add meat, cover and cook on low for 7-8 hours or until done.
Ladle out liquid from crockpot, straining out & reserving the vegetables to return to crockpot with the roast. When cooked, shred meat in a food processor or by hand. Pour liquid into a saucepan. Bring to a boil and simmer, stirring often until thickened.

Pour over meat and stir or serve on the side.
Garnish as desired.

Perfect Hot Chocolate

from Martha Stewart

This was the first home made hot chocolate recipe I've tried, so if you have a terrific recipe, go ahead and post it, but I really enjoyed this one. Additionally, I will never again go a year w/o Hatsuho's peppermint + candycane marshmallow recipe. They are perfect for hot chocolate!

...

10 ounces best-quality bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, chopped
2 quarts milk
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Combine chocolate and milk in a large saucepan over medium heat. Whisk until chocolate is melted and milk is very hot and frothy, about 20 minutes.

Remove from heat. Add vanilla; pour into a blender, filling halfway. Blend, holding lid in place (the hot liquid will expand), until frothy. Serve immediately. Blend remaining milk-and-chocolate mixture.

Just Chicken Pot Pie (great way to use left over turkey!)

from America’s Best Lost Recipes

I am not a pot pie person, or a crust person, but this is Really good! I even Love the crust!! We did use our Thanksgiving left over turkey and it turned out great. Making the crust a day early is advised to cut some prep work on the day of, and it has to chill anyway.

2 ½ lbs chicken
Salt and pepper
1 stick butter
1 celery rib, chopped fine
2 cloves garlic minced
1/3 c flour
12 oz can evaporated milk
2 c low sodium chicken broth
1 tsp grated lemon zest
3 scallions chopped
1 recipe Double Crust Pie Dough
¾ c shredded sharp cheddar cheese
1 large egg, beaten, for brushing

Prepare pie dough.

Adjust oven rack to middle position. Heat oven to 400. Pat chicken dry with paper towels and season with salt and pepper. Roast until chicken registers 160 degrees, about 35 minutes. Let cool to room temperature. Reduce oven temperature to 350.

Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Cook celery until softened, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook about 30 seconds until fragrant. Stir in flour and cook until it begins to brown, about 1 minute.

Stir in milk, broth, and zest and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer until thickened, about 5 minutes. Strain sauce into a large bowl (discard vegetables), stir in the chicken and scallions and season to taste with salt and pepper. Let the filling cool until just warm, about 30 minutes.

Spoon chicken mixture into pie shell and sprinkle with cheese. Top with remaining chilled circle of dough. Trim all but 1/2” dough overhanging the edge of the pie plate. Press top and bottom of crusts together, then tuck edges underneath. Crimp dough evenly around the edge of the pie using your fingers.

Cut 4, 2” slits in top of dough, brush with beaten egg, and bake until crust is deep golden brown, 45-55 minutes. Let cool 10 minutes. Serve.

Double Crust Pie Dough:

2 ½ c flour
2 T sugar
1 tsp salt
8 T vegetable shortening, cut into 1/2” pieces and chilled
12 T butter cut into ¼” pieces and chilled
6-8 T ice water

Process flour, sugar, and salt in food processor until combined. Scatter shortening over the top and process until mixture has the texture of coarse sand. Scatter butter pieces over the top and process until it resembles coarse crumbs. Transfer to a bowl.

Sprinkle 6 T water over mixture. Stir and press dough together, using a stiff rubber spatula, until dough sticks together. If dough does not come together, stir in remaining water, 1 T at a time until it does.

Divide dough into 2 even pieces and flatten each into a 4” disk. Wrap each tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate 1 hour. (The dough can be refrigerated if wrapped tightly for 2 days, or frozen for 2 months. If frozen, let the dough thaw on countertop until malleable before rolling).

Let the chilled dough soften slightly at room temperature before rolling out into 2, 12” circles on a floured surface and fitting one into pie plate. Chill the other. To make the top, let it roll around the rolling pin to lift.

Cherry Almond Angel Roll

So I made this last night and it is wonderful! I got it out of a Pampered Chef cookbook.

1 pkg (16 oz) angel food cake mix
1 pkg (2.25 oz) sliced almonds, chopped
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1/2 cup cherry preserves
1 container (8oz) sour cream
1 container (8oz) frozen whipped topping, thawed
1/2 tsp almond extract
2-4 drops red food coloring (optional)
1 pkg (3.3 oz) white chocolate instant pudding and pie filling
Additional powdered sugar (optional)

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line jelly roll pan with parchment paper. Prepare cake mix according to package directions. Pour batter over parchment paper, spreading evenly. Chop almonds. (it says using Food Chopper which if you don't have the pampered chef one you should get it. It really is amazing.) Sprinkle evenly over batter. Bake 30-35 minutes or until top springs back when lightly touched with fingertip. Remove from oven.
2. Sprinkle powdered sugar over cake. Place an additional piece of parchment paper over cake. Invert cooling rack over paper. Carefully invert cake; remove pan. Peel parchment paper from bottom side of cake; discard. Starting at short end of cake, roll up cake in parchment paper jelly roll style. Cool completely.
3. Unroll cake. Spread cake with preserves. In bowl, combine sour cream, whipped topping, almond extract and food coloring. Mix well. Add pudding mix and whisk until thickened. Spread filling over cake to within 1 inch of edge; roll up cake. Refrigerate at least 30 minutes. Sprinkle cake with additional powdered sugar, if desired. Slice using serrated knife.
Yield: 12 servings.

The Cheesecake Factory Pumpkin Cheesecake

from Top Secret Restaurant Recipes

After trying the restaurant's recipe, I was addicted!! I searched for a recipe that could duplicate it, and the first I tried tasted just like pumpkin pie. Even one I had at the Olive Garden tasted just like pumpkin pie. There's nothing like the Cheesecake Factory's recipe. This one was JUST like the Cheesecake Factories!

1 ½ c graham cracker crumbs
5 Tbsp butter, melted
1 c + 1 Tbsp sugar
3 (8 oz) packages cream cheese, softened
1 tsp vanilla
1 c canned pumpkin
3 eggs
½ tsp cinnamon
¼ tsp nutmeg
¼ tsp allspice
Whipped cream

Preheat oven to 350.
Make crust by combining crackers with melted butter and 1 Tbsp sugar in a medium bowl.
Stir well enough to coat all crumbs with butter, but don’t let it turn to a paste. Keep it crumbly.
Press into the bottom and about 2/3 up sides of an 8” springform pan (or two 9” pie plates). Bake 5 minutes, set aside.
In a large mixing bowl, combine the cream cheese, 1 c sugar, and vanilla. Mix with electric mixer until smooth.
Add pumpkin, eggs, cinnamon, nutmeg, and allspice and continue to beat until smooth and creamy.
Pour into the pan and bake 60 – 70 minutes, the top will be a bit darker at this point. Remove from oven and allow to cool. When it has come to room temperature, place in refrigerator. Cut and serve with whipped cream once chilled.

Make Ahead Mashed Potatoes

These are my favorite mashed potatoes!!! They are amazing.
recipe from cooks Illustrated

5 lbs russet baking potatoes (about 9 med) scrubbed poked several times with fork
3 c heavy cream hot
8 Tbsp (1 stick) unsalted butter melted
Salt and ground black pepper

Adjust oven rack to middle position of oven 450
Microwave potatoes on high power for 16 minutes turning them over halfway through cooking time.Transfer the potatoes to the oven & place them directly on the hot oven rack. Bake until a skewer slides easily through the flesh, about 30 minutes, flipping them over halfway through the baking time (do not undercook.)

Remove potatoes from the oven, and cut ea potato in half lengthwise. Using an oven mitt kitchen towel to hold the hot potatoes, scoop out all flesh from each potato half into a med bowl. Break the cooked potato flesh down into small pieces using a fork, potato masher, or rubber spatula.
Transfer half the potatoes to the bowl of a standing mixer with the paddle attachment. Beat potatoes on high speed until smooth, about 30 seconds, gradually adding the rest of the potatoes to incorporate, until completely smooth and no lumps remain, 1 to 2 minutes, stopping the mixer to scrape down sides and bottom of bowl as needed.

Remove bowl from the mixer and gently fold in 2 c of cream, followed by butter and 2 teaspoons salt. Gently fold in up to ½ cup the cream as needed to reach your desired serving consistency. Once the desired serving consistency is reached, gently fold in an additional ½ cup cream (if serving next day).
Adding extra cream- to prevent potatoes from drying out as they sit overnight, make them quite soupy. Add cream to your desired consistency then add 1/2c + to accommodate their over night storage.

Celery Herb Stuffing

recipe from my kichen cafe blog

7 tablespoons butter, plus more for dish and baking
1 loaf rustic white bread, cut into 1/2-inch cubes (about 9 1/2 cups bread cubes)
Salt and Pepper to taste
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
5 celery stalks, thinly sliced on the diagonal
2 medium onions, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced in half-moons
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1/2 to 2 cups chicken broth
1/2 teaspoon poultry seasoning
3 tablespoons coarsely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1 teaspoon dried sage
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon dried rosemary (rubbed between fingers to crumble lightly)
3 to 4 large eggs, lightly beaten

Preheat the oven to 350°. Melt 5 tablespoons butter in the microwave. Toss with bread cubes in a large bowl. Spread in a single layer on 1 or 2 rimmed baking sheets. Toast in the oven, tossing once, until golden, about 20 minutes. Let cool completely.

Heat the oil and remaining 2 tablespoons butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat until butter has melted. Add celery, onions, garlic, and a pinch of salt; cook, stirring occasionally, until golden brown and soft, about 10 minutes.

To bake all of the stuffing in the oven:(this is my preferred method) Put vegetable mixture and toasted bread into large bowl. Stir in poultry seasoning, herbs, and 2 cups broth into stuffing. Stir in 4 eggs until bread mixture is well coated. Spoon into a buttered 13-by-9-inch baking dish, and dot generously with butter. Cover with foil, and bake in a 375° oven for 25 minutes. Uncover, and bake until golden brown, 10 to 15 minutes more. To stuff inside of turkey: Put vegetable mixture and toasted bread into a bowl. Stir in 1 cup broth, the poultry seasoning, and herbs; season with salt and pepper. Stir in 3 eggs. Stuff inside of turkey and bake.

Turkey

This was such a juicy turkey. Not dry at all!!! This is a keeper. And the gravy was the best!
This recipe comes from the my kitchen cafe blog.

1 (18-22) pound turkey (I used a 12-pound turkey)
carrots
celery (cut into large chunks)
onion (peeled and cut into large chunks)
garlic cloves (peeled and smashed)
juice of 1 lemon
1 tablespoon salt
1 tablespoon pepper
1 tablespoon poultry seasoning
butter
brown paper bag
drippings, flour, and water for gravy

(I leave the veggies out)

Preheat the oven to 500 degrees and let it heat for one hour.
Meanwhile, remove giblets and neck and wash the turkey. Fill the cavity of the turkey with carrots, celery, garlic and onion.

Combine the lemon juice, salt, pepper and poultry seasoning in a small bowl. With your hands, rub the entire turkey with the lemon juice mixture.Place the turkey breast down (this is opposite of how a turkey is normally cooked - so just flip the turkey upside down) in a large roasting pan. Place the roasting pan in the hot oven for as many minutes as the turkey weighs (ie. 19 lb. turkey = 19 minutes).
Bake for the allotted time.

Meanwhile, grease a large brown paper bag with butter on both sides. Remove the roasting pan from the oven and carefully (because the turkey and roasting pan are HOT) make a tent out of the paper bag and drape it over the turkey, taking care to tuck the sides of the bag into the roasting pan (otherwise, the butter will drip off the bag, leap onto the oven burner and possibly create a large fire OR this time I just used a piece of foil over the top & buttered the turkey a bit more.
Turn the oven down to 400 degrees and cook the turkey for two hours.Remove the roasting pan and turkey from the oven and let turkey sit for 20 minutes. Remove turkey from the roasting pan and pour the drippings into a medium-sized saucepan. Bring to a boil. Make a slurry from flour and water (to the consistency of thick, heavy cream) and add to the drippings until desired consistency is reached.

Pizza Dough

sumbitted by Jamie

1 Tbsp yeast
1 1/3 c warm water
1 Tbsp sugar
3 ½ c flour
1 tsp salt
2 Tbsp oil

Combine first three ingredients, let sit 5 minutes.
Mix remaining ingredients well and knead 10 minutes. Let rise 1 - 1 ½ hours, covered. Preheat oven to 475.
Sprinkle cornmeal on a pizza stone, shape dough onto stone. Top as desired, let sit 5 minutes.
Bake about 15-20 minutes until golden brown.

Stir Fry Chicken with Garlic Sayce

submitted by Jamie

2 lg. garlic cloves, minced
1/4 c. soy sauce
1/4 c. water
1/4 c. honey
2 tbsp. vegetable oil, divided
1 tbsp. cornstarch
1 lb. cooked boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into strips
1/4 c. chopped green onions
pepper to taste

Combine garlic, soy sauce, water, honey, 1 tablespoon oil, cornstarch and pepper. Stir chicken into marinade and mix to coat. Cover and refrigerate at least 2 hours, stirring once to twice. In large skillet, heat remaining oil. Using slotted spoon, transfer chicken to skillet. Stir-fry about 5 minutes. Add reserved marinade; continue to cook and stir about 30 seconds until thickened. Remove to platter. Garnish with green onion. Serve with snow peas, if desired. (I didn't let the chicken marinade at all! I just threw everything together and let it cook for like 15 minutes! It still tasted fantastic! I also added a 16 oz. bag of frozen stir fry veggies and it was delicious seved over rice!!!)4 servings

Japanese Chicken Wings

We just made this for the first time, I loved it. It is from allrecipes.
Here's a picture for your viewing pleasure.
It is a well rated recipe.
We served with rice and veggies.
This is a wing recipe, but I don't like wings, so I adapted this recipe to regular chicken. For wing recipe, go to above website.

Japanese Chicken Wings from allrecipes

3 lb chicken
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 c flour
1 c butter
Sauce:
3 T soy sauce
3 T water
1 c sugar
½ c white vinegar
½ tsp garlic powder
1 tsp salt

Preheat oven to 350. Cut chicken into wing size pieces. Dip in egg, coat in flour.
Heat butter in a large skillet over medium high heat. Fry chicken until deep brown. Place in a shallow roasting pan.
In a small bowl, combine sauce ingredients. Pour some over chicken. Bake 30-45 minutes, basting often with sauce.

Hot 'n Spicy Corn Dip

Serve warm with tortilla chips. So delicious!!

Hot 'n Spicy Corn Dip

2 cups frozen corn, drained well
8 oz. light cream cheese
1 large tomato, chopped (about 1 cup)
½ - 1 cup Colby Jack cheese
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and finely chopped

Preheat oven to 350. Mix all ingredients until well blended. Spread into a 9” pie plate. Bake 20 min. or until golden brown and bubbly.

Chili's Chocolate Chip Paradise Pie

This was a fun dessert to make just for the idea of it. After trying it as is, I think it would be fun to play around with it and try different recipes for the cookie layer- like a blonde brownie recipe that I have. I also used pecans b/c I was out of walnuts.

I also like to make my own caramel sauce and hot fugdge recipe instead of using the store brands.

recipe from Top Secret Recipes cookbook

Cookie Layer
1 c flour
½ tsp baking soda
¼ tsp baking powder
1 stick butter, softened
1/3 c sugar
1 egg
1 T milk
½ tsp vanilla
½ c shredded coconut

Crust Layer
6 T butter
¼ c sugar
1 ½ c graham cracker crumbs
1 ¼ c semi sweet chocolate chips
½ c chopped walnuts

Cinnamon Butter
1 stick butter, softened
3 T sugar
1 ½ tsp cinnamon

Chocolate Syrup
Caramel Syrup
6 T chopped walnuts
Vanilla Ice Cream
__________________
For the cookie layer:
Preheat oven to 325.
Combine flour, soda, and powder in a medium bowl.
In a separate bowl, beat the butter and sugar about 30 seconds, until lighter in color.
Add the egg, milk, and vanilla and beat until smooth.
Slowly add the dry mixture into the wet and beat to combine.
Mix in the coconut. Set aside.

For the crust layer:
Melt the butter in a medium bowl on high for 30 seconds. Add the sugar and sir well for 30 seconds. Add graham crumbs, stir, and press into a 9x9 dish. Sprinkle chocolate chips over. Press dough into the dish, covering the chocolate chips, using floured hands to prevent sticking. Sprinkle walnuts over top and press with fingers into dough. Bake 40-45 minutes until edges are light brown.

For the cinnamon butter:
Cream the sugar , cinnamon, and butter together with a mixer on high speed.

When ready to assemble the dessert, heat a small skillet over medium heat. When hot, remove from heat and add about 1 T cinnamon butter to pan (it should melt and sizzle). Place a piece of the cake in the skillet (if the cake has cooled, warm in microwave first). Place a scoop of ice cream over cake. Drizzle chocolate and caramel over the cake, then sprinkle with about 2 T chopped walnuts.
(You can melt the cinnamon butter on a plate and build the “pie” there).

Root Beer Float Cake

White Cake Mix
2 1/4c. root beer, chilled and divided
1/4 c. oil
2 eggs
1 env. whipped topping mix

In a large bowl, combine cake mix, 1-1/4 cups root beer, oil and eggs; beat until well blended. Pour into a greased 13"X9" baking pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 to 35 minutes; cool completely. In a medium bowl, combine remaining root beer and whipped topping mix; beat until soft peaks form. Frost cake. Makes 15 servings.

Now Public

I hope its ok with everyone, I went ahead and made the blog public from the responses I've gotten.

not Italian meatballs

I don't have a written recipe for meatballs, but here is my closest estimate:

Meatballs

2 eggs, beaten
1/2 pound ground beef
3/4 cup rolled oats
salt and pepper to taste (haha! I made these just the right amount of salty by luck. Maybe 1 tsp.?)
1 to 2 Tb. parsley
Mix everything together and roll into little balls. Use more eggs for more oats, and fewer eggs for fewer oats. Fry in a skillet on medium heat for about twenty minutes, turning as necessary. Serve over rice.

Zucchini

1 or two zucchini or summer squash, sliced thin
salt and pepper to taste
2 or 3 Tb. butter (or olive oil)

Melt the butter in a skillet over medium heat. Add the sliced zucchini and fry for about 15 minutes or until zucchini is tender and browned.

Yeah, I think that's the first recipe I've shared! So simple... I usually don't take pictures of my food, and Jonathan usually cooks for me. I'll post again when I cook again!

--Ammie

Public or Private??

I noticed when I changed the background that it took all of the contributor's names off, which made me wonder if everyone wanted this blog private still or if you would like it public so your friends and family can access it if they wanted- now that you can't click on the names of the contributors (for those worried about that).

Anyway, if anyone has any thoughts let me know.

Baked Potato Salad

6 to 8 potatoes, cooked and cubed
1/2 to 1 lb bacon, crisply cooked and crumbled
1-1/2 c. shredded Cheddar Cheese, divided
1/2 onion, chopped
1 c. mayonnaise-type salad dressing

Combine potatoes, bacon, half the cheese, onion and enough salad dressing to moisten; mix well. Spread into a greased 9"X9" baking pan; sprinkle with remaining cheese. Bake at 350 degrees until bubbly, about 30 to 35 minutes. Serves 8 to 10.

Chicken and Spinach Stuffed Shells

This recipe is from the sister's cafe blog. For a picture go here
I made half of this recipe, and in the future I think I'll skip the chicken and just add more spinach

44 uncooked jumbo pasta shells (That’s about one and one-half 12-oz boxes)
2 c chopped cooked chicken
2 c fresh chopped spinach
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 (15oz) container ricotta cheese
2 (8oz) packages cream cheese, softened
1 (5oz) package shredded Parmesan cheese (about 1 2/3 c.)
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1 Tb dried parsley flakes
1 tsp Italian seasoning
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
2 c shredded mozzarella cheese, divided
1 (26oz) jar prepared spaghetti sauce (any variety)

Cook shells according to package directions (be sure to stir every once in awhile so they don't stick to the bottom of the pan and tear apart); drain and set aside.Preheat oven to 350°. Lightly grease 2 13x9x2inch baking dishes.In a large bowl, combine chicken and all the rest of the ingredients except mozzarella and spaghetti sauce. Stir in 1 cup mozzarella. Spoon into shells. Spread half of spaghetti sauce into prepared baking dishes. Arrange shells over sauce; top with remaining sauce. Cover tightly with heavy-duty aluminum foil. Bake, covered, for 40 minutes. Uncover, sprinkle with remaining 1 cup mozzarella. Bake for 5 to 10 more minutes.Makes 8-10 servings.

Submitted by Dalyce

Stuffed French Toast

from Cooks Country Cookbook

We love this recipe!

6 oz cream cheese, softened
3 T sugar
¼ tsp cinnamon
8 slices hearty white sandwhich bread (slices 5x4”)
1 egg
1 c cold water
½ c flour
1 tsp vanilla
4 T butter
Maple syrup

Combine cream cheese, sugar, and cinnamon, then spread on 4 slices of bread. Top with remaining bread slices and sandwhich.
Combine egg, water, flour, and vanilla in a shallow pie plate. Melt 2 T butter over medium heat.
Dip both sides of sandwhiches in the batter and cook until deep golden brown on both sides. Cut into triangles and serve immediately with syrup. Top with powdered sugar if desired.

submitted by Dalyce

Brigadeiro

(Briga-dare-o)

Brazilian candy

Recipe from: A Taste of Brazil by Gary & Rose Neeleman

1 can sweetened condensed milk

3 heaping tablespoons cocoa powder

1 square margarine/butter (1/2 c.)

Mix sweetened condensed milk together with cocoa powder in a heavy pan adding margarine or butter. Cook stirring constantly with a wooden spoon until the mixture comes lose from the bottom and sides of the pan.

Let cool and roll into small balls and roll in granulated chocolate. Decorate (with chocolate sprinkles) and place in chocolate papers.

Chocolate Truffles

Recipe from: The Essential Mormon Cookbook by Julie Badger Jensen

½ c. heavy cream

1/3 c. sugar

6 Tbsp. butter

1 c. milk chocolate or semi-sweet chocolate chips

1 tsp. vanilla

chopped nuts

Combine heavy cream, sugar, and butter in a small saucepan; bring just to boil. Remove from heat; immediately add chocolate chips. Stir until chips are melted; add vanilla. Pour into bowl. Cool, stirring occasionally, until chocolate begins to set. Cover and chill in refrigerator several hours. Form mixture into balls of desired size, working quickly to prevent melting. Roll in chopped nuts. Store in refrigerator or freezer until serving time.

Chip Dip

I don't know if you will like this or not but someone served me this once and I really liked it. You just put powder taco seasoning in sour cream. I don't really like sour cream but I liked this.

Granola

Recipe courtesy of Alton Brown (Food Network)

This is the granola we used in our parfaits at Enrichment this week. You'll notice we left out the slivered almonds, cashews, coconut, and raisins and everyone still loved it.

Cook time: 1 hr 15 min
6 servings

Ingredients

• 3 cups rolled oats
• 1 cup slivered almonds
• 1 cup cashews
• 3/4 cup shredded sweet coconut
• 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons dark brown sugar
• 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons maple syrup
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup raisins

Directions

Preheat oven to 250 degrees F.

In a large bowl, combine the oats, nuts, coconut, and brown sugar.

In a separate bowl, combine maple syrup, oil, and salt. Combine both mixtures and pour onto 2 sheet pans. Cook for 1 hour and 15 minutes, stirring every 15 minutes to achieve an even color.

Remove from oven and transfer into a large bowl. Add raisins and mix until evenly distributed.

Sorry I ran the ingredients together. I hope you can understand them.

Irish Soda Bread

4 c all purpose flour 2 c raisins
1/4 c sugar 1-1/3 c buttermilk
1t baking powder 1 egg, beaten
2 T caraway seed 1 t baking soda
1/4 c butter 1 egg yolk, beaten

Mix flour, sugar and baking powder in a large bowl; stir in caraway seed. Cut in butter until mixture looks like coarse meal. Stir in raisins and set aside. Combine buttermilk, egg and baking soda; stir into flour mixture just enough to moisten. Turn onto floured board and knead lightly until dough is smooth; shope into a ball. Place in a greased 2-quart casserole dish; brush with egg yolk. Bake at 375 degrees for one hour. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from casserole dish. Makes one loaf.

Cheese Rolls

(Pao de Queijo)
From Café Brazil by Michael Bateman

Makes 12


1 2/3 cups tapioca flour
4 tablespoons sunflower oil
generous pinch of sea salt
1 free-range egg, beaten
6 tablespoons plain yogurt
½ cup freshly grated hard cheese, preferably Parmesan


1. Preheat oven to 450ºF

2. Sift the tapioca flour into a bowl. In a saucepan, combine the oil and salt with 6 tablespoons water and bring to a boil. Slowly pour onto the tapioca, stirring it to a stiff dough with a wooden spoon.

3. When the dough has cooled slightly, stir in the egg, then the yogurt and, finally, the cheese.

4. Grease your hands with an oily piece of paper towel, then form the dough into 12 balls. Arrange them on a nonstick baking sheet. Put into the oven and immediately reduce the temperature to 350ºF. Bake for 25-30 minutes. You should be able to tell that the rolls are done by the appetizing smell, but you can test for doneness by inserting a skewer –if it comes out clean they are ready. Cool on a wire rack.

Best when served right out of the oven. Not as good when reheated later.

Fast Chocolate Fondue

2 T butter
1 c semi-sweet chocolate chips
14 oz can sweetened condesed milk
1 t vanilla extract
assorted dippers

Melt butter and chocolate chips in a heavy saucepan over low heat, stirring occasionally. Stir in condensed milk and vanilla: heat, stirring constantly, about 5 minutes or until smooth and hot. Serve warm in a fondue pot or small saucepan set over low heat or hot water: surround with dippers. Makes 6 to 8 servings.

New Mexico Caramels

from All American Dessert Book

1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup packed light brown sugar
1 cup dark corn syrup
2 sticks butter, cut into chunks
1/8 teaspoon salt
2 cups heavy cream
1 tablespoon vanilla extract, combined with 1 Tbsp hot water
2 1/2 cups chopped pecans (optional)

Line a 9-x13 baking dish with foil overhanging on two sides. Coat with spray. Set the baking dish on a wire rack.

In a heavy, nonreactive 6-quart pot, thoroughly stir together the sugars, corn syrup, butter, and salt.

Stir in the cream until the sugars dissolve. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon. If any sugar remains on the pot sides, wipe it away with a pastry brush dipped in warm water or a damp paper towel.

Adjust the heat so the mixture boils briskly. Clip a candy thermometer to the pot side, with the tip immersed but not touching the bottom. Continue boiling briskly, occasionally gently stirring and scraping the pot bottom, until the mixture thickens and darkens somewhat, 5 to 9 minutes.

Reduce the heat slightly and continue boiling, gently stirring and scraping the pot bottom to prevent scorching, until the caramel reaches 246 to 247 degrees F. Watch carefully, as the temperature may rise rapidly near the end of cooking. Immediately remove from the heat.

Working carefully to avoid splattering, gently stir in the vanilla mixture and the pecans, if using, just until evenly distributed.

Carefully pour the caramel into the baking dish; do not scrape out the pot. Let cool until thoroughly set, at least 1 1/2 hours.
To aid in cutting the caramels, refrigerate for 15 to 20 minutes, or until firmed up slightly. (Do not refrigerate longer, or the caramel will become too hard.) Carefully peel off the foil. Wipe any excess oil from the slab using a paper towel. Place the slab on a cutting board. Using a lightly greased, large sharp knife, trim away uneven edges, if desired. Score and cut the slab into eighths lengthwise and twelfths crosswise (or as desired).

Wrap each caramel in a 4-inch square of wax paper, twisting the ends to keep the paper from unrolling. The caramels will keep in the refrigerator for up to 3 weeks. Let come almost to room temperature before serving.

submitted by dalyce

Crock Pot Beef Stew

Yummy for cold winter days like today! This is cooking in my crock pot right now...

1 lb. stew meat
4 carrots sliced
4 large potatoes cut in chunks
1 bay leaf
1 pkg. dry onion soup mix
2 cans cream of mushroom soup
1 8oz. can tomato sauce
1 bag frozen peas
1 onion

1. Grease crockpot. Place beef cubes on bottom.
2. Layer carrots & potatoes, then put bay leaf on top.
3. Mix remaining ingredients in a bowl & pour over vegetables.
4. Cook on low for 10 hours or high for 5 hours.

*Haven't tried this, but you could use chicken & cream of chicken soup as a variation.

Chicken Pot Pie

It's all about comfort food right now, right? :) One thing I've learned through the years of cooking on my own (and from working at Viking!) is that you should always read through a recipe fully and prep before getting started on the "cooking" part, and that goes for this recipe. It really is easy, but you just need to realize that the chicken, potatoes and veggies need to be cooked first.

So, without further ado...

Sauté:
½ cup chopped onion
6 TBSP. margarine

Add and stir until thickened:
½ cup flour
1 tsp. each, or to taste: salt, garlic powder
½ tsp. Pepper
3 cups chicken broth

Add and put in 13x9 pan:
3 cups cubed chicken
3 medium potatoes, cooked and diced
10 oz. pkg. Peas & Carrots, cooked and drained

Make Bisquick biscuits (roll and cut)-or buy the tube of biscuits, place on top of mixture. Bake at 375* until bubbly and biscuits are done.

Potato Cheese Soup

Yesterday I was scrounging for a dinner idea with the limited ingredients I had on hand, and I made this soup. It turned out yummy. Serves 2. For a complete meal, serve with a salad and bread :)

Potato Cheese Soup

1 large baking potato, peeled and cubed
1/2 carrot, peeled and chopped
1 small onion, chopped
1/2 cup chicken broth
dash of salt
3/4 cup milk (or half and half, or heavy cream)
1 tablespoon butter, melted
1 tablespoon flour
1 teaspoon parsley (dried or fresh)
dash of pepper
1/3 cup shredded cheddar cheese

1) Boil potato, carrot, onion, broth, and salt together until potatoes are done.
2) Pour into blender and add the remaining ingredients except for the cheese and blend.
3) Pour back into pot on medium and stir in the cheese.
4) Done!

Crockpot Chicken Enchilada's

2 Cans of Cream of Chicken soup
1 regular size of sour cream
1 small can of green chile's
corn tortilla's
3 cooked chicken breasts (I use canned because it is easier)
Grated Cheese
Olives (optional)

Mix the sour cream, cream of chicken soup and green chile's together. Spread some of the mixture on the bottom of the crockpot. Break up 3 corn tortilla's and layer on top of that. Next put chicken on top of that. Repeat those steps two more times. Put any remaining sauce on top. Put desired amount of grated cheese on top of that and the olives if you want. Cook for 4 hours on high or 6 on low.

Auntie Anne's Pretzels

from Even More Top Secret Recipes
These were gone in less than 24 hours, then Eric wanted to make them again the next day. We really liked them!



Pretzels:
1 ¼ c warm water
1 Tbsp + ¼ tsp yeast
3 ¾ c flour
¾ c + 2 Tbsp powdered sugar
1 ½ tsp salt
2 tsp vegetable oil

Bath:
4 c warm water
½ c baking soda

Topping:
¼ c butter, melted

Salted Pretzels:
Kosher or pretzel salt
Cinnamon + Sugar:
½ c sugar
2 tsp cinnamon

Dissolve yeast in warm water in small bowl and let sit a few minutes.

Combine flour, powdered sugar, and salt in a large mixing bowl. Add water/yeast and vegetable oil, stir. Knead dough 5 minutes on a lightly floured surface or in mixer. Dough will be smooth when ready. Place into a lightly oiled bowl, cover, and let sit in a warm place about 45 minutes or until doubled in size. When dough has risen, preheat oven to 425.

Make a bath for pretzels by combining baking soda and warm water and stir until soda is mostly dissolved.

Divide dough into 8 equal portions. Roll or stretch each portion until 3’ long. Pick up dough parallel to your body and twist the very ends around each other. Lay dough down with loop nearest you, fold ends down and pinch to seal (should be shaped like a pretzel).
Holding pinched ends, dip each pretzel into bath then move to a paper towel to blot excess liquid.
Arrange pretzels on 2 sprayed baking sheet. Sprinkle any pretzels with salt as desired (do not coat with cinnamon/sugar yet if baking those).
Bake one sheet at a time for 8 minutes, spinning each sheet halfway around, halfway through baking time. Bake until golden brown.
Remove from oven and cool a couple minutes, then brush with melted butter.
For cinnamon/sugar pretzels, combine the cinnamon and sugar in a small bowl, then sprinkle over generously buttered (unsalted) pretzels.

submitted by Dalyce

Chicken Fingers and Honey Mustard Dipping Sauce

from The Joy of Cooking 75th Anniversary

4 boneless, skinless, chicken breast halves
2 c dry bread crumbs
½ c grated parmesan cheese, optional
1 Tbsp minced parsley or 1 tsp paprika
1 tsp salt
½ tsp pepper
2 eggs
2 tsp water
3 Tbsp vegetable or Olive Oil

Honey Mustard Dipping Sauce
6 Tbsp honey
¼ c Dijon mustard
Ground red pepper to taste

Cut each breast half crosswise into 6 pieces.
Combine crumbs, cheese, parsley/paprika, salt, and pepper in a shallow dish.
Whisk egg and water in another shallow dish.
Dip chicken into egg then crumbs. Heat oil over medium high heat until hot. Cook chicken until nicely brown on both sides, 4-5 minutes.
To make sauce, stir ingredients and serve at room temperature. Keeps in refrigerator 1 month.

submitted by Dalyce