Blaine(ish) Family Recipes

Lemon Chicken with White Wine Sauce

2011-09-25T06:20:00.002-05:00

Okay, no, this recipe is so much more than the title implies. It's crispy skin and flavorful meat and olives and lemon and who-cares-about-all-of-that-because-OMG-those-PRUNES! Oh, and you can also make a red-wine version with orange instead of lemon and I seriously can't figure out which version I like better. Just go with whatever wine or fruit you have on hand, I guess.

I found this recipe in Molly Stevens's (incredible) book All About Braising, but I changed it kind of significantly. That is to say, I made it into something you don't braise. I did this because A) braising is awesome for tender meat, but not so awesome for crispy skin (crispy skin is WHY I eat chicken, people!) and B) I don't have a casserole dish suitable for braising and even if I did, there's the fact that C) I don't have an oven big enough for such a dish. So, here is my crispy-skinned, small-oven approved recipe for really, really excellent ~~prunes~~ chicken.

This recipe is for two people. Feel free to add more chicken if you have more people and a bigger oven (you won't need to change any other amounts. I kept the sauce the same because SAUCE).

Ingredients:

2 whole chicken thighs (the kind with the leg attached)
Salt and pepper
Flour for dredging
2 tbsp olive oil
1 cup dry white wine (Chardonnay is good. Never cook with wine you wouldn't drink! Unless you don't drink dry white wines in which case...don't cook with wine I wouldn't drink! Use good-ish wine, is what I'm saying.) (Or use a red wine if you're doing that version of the dish)
1/4 white wine vinegar (or red wine vinegar, if using red wine)
1 garlic clove, smashed
Zest of 1 lemon (or one orange, if using red wine)
2 whole cloves
10-12 pitted prunes
1/3 cup good-quality green olives, pitted (or, again, black olives if using red wine)

Preheat oven to 375. Salt and pepper your chicken, then dredge it in flour.

Heat oil in a skillet, and cook chicken 3-4 minutes on each side (without turning) until a brown crust forms. Set aside and drain off the fat, leaving behind all the delicious brown bits.

Then add the wine, vinegar, garlic, zest, and cloves to the pan and use a wooden spoon to scrape up all those brown bits. If you have an oven-proof skillet, scatter over the prunes and olives and stick the whole pan in your oven. If not, transfer the sauce and chicken to an oven-safe dish so that the pieces fit snugly, and then scatter over the prunes and olives.

Cook uncovered for 30 minutes. That's where your crispy skin comes from.

Remove the chicken, prunes, and olives, and return the liquid to the pan (or return the pan to the stove). Cook over high heat, stirring frequently, until the liquid has reduced to the consistency of a vinaigrette.

Discard cloves and zest, pour sauce over chicken (and over the rice or whatever you're serving this with) and serve with the olives and (omg) prunes.

Yes, the prunes are really that good.

Creamy Red Pepper Sauce

2011-09-25T05:52:00.002-05:00

I was looking for a pasta sauce recipe that wasn't cream-based, because I just noticed that about 112% of my recipes are, when I found this one...

...which is totally cream-based but shhhh. It has vegetables in it! I made a few changes from the original recipe by making it a bit easier, reducing the dirty dishes (oh what, you have a dishwasher? How awesome for you, person-who-sucks), and increasing the vegetable-to-cream ratio.

Ingredients:

2 red bell peppers, or any combination of red, orange, and yellow
5 cloves of garlic, minced (or more - you can't have too much garlic, that's my motto)
1 tbsp dried basil (or a big 'ole handful of fresh basil, chopped, if you've got it) (or probably a spoonful of pesto, mmmm, I bed that'd be great)
1 cup half-and-half
1/4 cup Romano or Parmesan cheese
1-2 tbsp butter
Red pepper flakes, or cayenne pepper
Chili powder
Salt and pepper
Olive oil (I never really measure olive oil. Like garlic: it's hard to have too much)

Preheat your broiler. Or preheat your absurdly tiny oven which pretty much is a broiler. Cut your bell peppers in half and remove the seeds, then brush both sides with olive oil and let them roast until the skin has some black spots and the flesh is tender. Then let them sit, in a sealed plastic baggie if you're really on top of things, (or just on a paper towel in the fridge if you're me not) for about 45 minutes.

Heat some olive oil in a skillet. Remove the skin from the peppers and throw them in the skillet with the garlic, the basil, and the spices. You can purée this mixture later if you want a really smooth sauce, but if you prefer to minimize your dirty dishes then just mash up the peppers with your spoon as you cook the mixture for about 10 minutes over medium heat.

Then add the cream and cheese and stir until it's all a uniformly gorgeous orange-y color. Add the butter, more or less depending on how much you care about your arteries, stir it again, add salt and pepper to taste, and serve over pasta or whatever, seriously, you could actually just eat this sauce by the spoonful.

It's particularly good with cheese ravioli.

Veal Piccata

2011-08-31T19:19:00.003-05:00

I have wanted to make this since I ate it at a restaurant two years ago. WHY did I wait so long? It's super-lemony and so easy to make. You could use chicken or pork cutlets, or probably tofu.

Veal Piccata

4 veal cutlets,pounded thin
Salt
Lemon pepper
Flour
4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 tsp garlic powder or equivalent fresh garlic
1 cup white wine
1/4 cup lemon juice
2 tablespoons capers
2 tablespoons butter
1/4 cup finely chopped parsley (or a tablespoon of dried)

Season the veal with salt and lemon pepper, then dredge in flour. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Saute cutlets for 3 minutes per side, or until golden. Set aside and keep them warm in a very low oven. Add garlic powder (if using fresh garlic, add to pan first, saute 1 minute), wine, lemon juice, and capers. Bring to a boil and continue to boil until liquid is reduced by half. I use the end of a wooden spoon to as a "dipstick" to measure the level of liquid. Then, just reduce to a simmer and stir in butter and parsley. Simmer for a minute or two. Return veal cutlets to pan and coat with sauce. Serve immediately over linguini (or rice?) with lots of crusty bread to sop up the lemony goodness. If you want to be fancy, you can garnish the platter with lemon slices and parsley.

Cod and Cumin Soup

2011-08-17T07:06:00.003-05:00

No no, really, it's delicious! Just try it! This is a slightly modified version of a recipe that I found in a French diet book (I know, right? but trust me) and it is very unusual in a very good way.

Ingredients:

1 tbsp butter
2 bunches green onions (or leeks. But leeks can be expensive, and green onions are DELICIOUS), thinly sliced
2 cups chicken broth or bouillon (or fish bouillon, or vegetable, whatever's on hand)
1 cup almond milk (or regular milk, but almond milk is amazing in almost every soup ever, people!)
1/4 tsp cumin
1 bay leaf (optional. I usually forget to add it.)
1 lb (approximately) cod fillet. Or haddock; that's what the recipe originally called for.
1 lb (approximately) potatoes, peeled and diced. I like those little redskin potatoes, but use what you have.

Melt the butter in a pot big enough to hold the soup. Add the green onions and/or leeks and cook until translucent but not browned. Or just a little bit browned. This is a very forgiving recipe.

Add the broth, milk, bay leaf, and cumin and lower the heat. This is your poaching liquid. Have you ever poached fish? It's not at all scary. Add your fish to the liquid and bring it to just below a simmer. You should see very few bubbles, but you should see one or two every now and then. Now let the fish sit in that very-slightly-bubbly liquid for about six minutes. Remove it, check to make sure that it flakes like cooked fish, and set aside. You can poach your fish in two batches if you don't have room for all in one go.

Now bring that liquid back to a boil and add your potatoes. Simmer until tender, take off the heat, and add the fish back in.

Serve as an appetizer or main dish. Definitely serve with crusty bread.

Zucchini Pancakes

2011-02-27T11:14:00.002-06:00

I first made this recipe in the States last fall, loved it, forgot about it, and rediscovered it a few weeks ago. The recipe comes from here originally, and I made it almost exactly as recommended (making substitutions where exotic ingredients such as store-bought breadcrumbs were unavailable) and it was delicious up until the moment where it made me sick to my stomach due to the massive amounts of olive oil required for frying. Also, it was kind of a pain to make -- literally -- as pan-fried foods often are. So, I changed it! Here is my new recipe for oven-baked zucchini pancakes, which absolutely everyone seems to love. Try it!

Ingredients:

2 medium-largish zucchinis
1 large or 2 small onions (or just one small onion - it doesn't make that much difference)
2-3 cloves of garlic, minced
3 eggs
1 cup bread crumbs, plain or seasoned
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp oregano
other Italian-ish seasonings, especially if using plain breadcrumbs
salt and pepper to taste

Grate the zucchini and onion in the easiest and least tearful way possible, by hand or with a food processor or whatever. Dump them into a colander (make sure the holes aren't so big that you lose significant bits of grated veggie) and let them drain. Encourage them to drain, actually; get your hands in there and squeeze, squeeze, squeeze. You'll be amazed at how much liquid is contained in a few zukes and onions. Don't hope to get them entirely wrung out. Just do the best you can.

Now preheat your oven to 425ish.

When the veggies are reasonably drained, throw 'em in a mixing bowl and combine with the rest of the ingredients. I'm not entirely sure what I mean by "salt and pepper to taste," because you won't actually be tasting the uncooked mixture and by the time it's cooked, it's pretty much too late to adjust the seasoning. So just do your best guessing and call it good. You can cover up any flavor deficiencies later with great big spoonfuls of sour cream. You can. Because you live in America where sour cream exists. (Did she just complain about the food in France? Yes. She did.) Mix everything up and make sure it's not too dry or too runny. It should be damp and gloppy but spoonable. Pretend that makes sense, okay?

Line a baking sheet or two with parchment paper and pour some olive oil on the paper. Spread it around to coat. Then drop your pancake mixture onto it in spoonfuls and flatten them down into pancakes. With the back of the spoon or with your hand or with a pancake-flattening tool. Which probably really exists somewhere. Then I like to brush the tops with more olive oil, but that's probably superfluous since we're going to flip them anyway. Your call.

Now stick them in the oven for 20 minutes, take them out, flip them over, and stick them back in for another 15 or so.

Serve with sour cream (*sniff*) or applesauce or samurai sauce (ha! so there! I'm getting my revenge for the sour cream).

That's all there is to it. I have nothing else to say about this recipe, but it felt wrong to end it with a spiteful parenthetical, so...well....enjoy!

Leftover Soup

2010-11-30T07:34:00.002-06:00

Guess what today is, everybody? It's the coldest November day in Orléans since 1953. It's five degrees outside! The ground is covered with snow that melted into slush and refroze, the buses have come to screeching (and skidding) halt, and I'm wearing every sweater I have, wrapped up in every blanket I have, chain-sipping a mug of hot tea.

In other words: It's a soup day!

Fortunately, I have the perfect soup recipe. I've been making this soup once or twice a week for about a month now, but I haven't posted the recipe because it just doesn't seem like a real recipe. The ingredients change every time! Sometimes quite drastically! And I've never actually quantified any of the ingredients! But the basic structure stays the same each time, and it has never - not EVER - been a disappointment, so I felt that I had to share. Also? It tastes approximately ten times richer than it actually is. Seriously. Don't let the cream scare you away. This is an everyday kind of a soup.

I had no idea what to call this soup. Technically, it's not really leftover soup. It's "this is in my farmer's basket and I have no idea what else to do with it" soup, but since weekly baskets of fresh, organic produce are not a natural occurrence for everybody (I'm sorry. I wish they were a natural occurrence for everybody), we're going to go with Leftover Soup. Or, more precisely, White Leftover Soup.

The system is this: take whatever leftover whitish vegetables you have on hand and make soup with them. This can include - but is not limited to - any combination of: potatoes, onions, rutabaga, leeks, cabbage, parsnips, cauliflower, and celeriac*. All of those together would be spectacular. Any two of those are just fine. When I started making the soup, I thought that potatoes would have to be a staple in each one. Then I made a leek-potato-parsnip soup and realized too late that I was out of potatoes and surprise! Potatoes are not indispensable!

So: choose your whitish vegetables, in whatever portions you find them in your crisper. Peel where applicable. Chop roughly. Dump into a pot of 2-4 cups of boiling water along with a chicken or vegetable bouillon cube. Simmer until everything is tender. Let cool a bit, then puree it in small batches in a blender, food processor, or with an immersion blender. Add 3/4 cup cream or half-and-half and reheat. Salt and pepper to taste. Add some crumbled bacon if you feel fancy, or extra hungry, or just to give yourself something to chew on.

Thus far I have tried this with the following combinations, each one as delicious as the next:
potato+leek
leek+parsnip
potato+parsnip+onion
potato+onion
potato+onion+celeriac
cabbage+potato+onion
potato+cauliflower+onion+celeriac
The possibilities are truly endless.

*A note about celeriac: it is the best vegetable ever! I discovered celeriac a few weeks ago and we're still in that honeymoon phase. I think that phase is going to last. It's amazing! It's everything I love about celery, densely compacted, and purged of everything I hate about celery! Namely: it is full of that spicy, celery-like flavor but completely void of that chlorophyll taste that celery stalks have. And with no stringy fibers. And without that unpleasant explosion of water when you bite into it that makes the whole thing taste like...well, like watered-down celery. Celeriac has the wonderful celery flavor (that I spent most of my life not realizing that I liked, because it had always been nastily concealed inside a stalk of celery) in ROOT form! A root that can be stored for long periods of time, unlike wilt-happy stalks of celery! A root that is easy to peel and chop, that yeilds lovely consistent chunks of something that resembles a potato but tastes like THE BEST CELERY EVER. It can be used everywhere that celery can - except, maybe, with peanut butter, but that's a snack that's always perplexed the hell out of me, so no loss - and many places that celery can't. It's amazing in soups, it's fantastic in chicken salad, and...well, that's all I've used it for so far, but it was SO GOOD, people!

Okay. I'm done now. Go buy some celeriac!

Twice-baked Sweet Potatoes

2010-10-29T07:27:00.003-05:00

Twice-baked potatoes are one of my all-time favorite foods, as are regular-baked sweet potatoes. That it's taken me until the age of nearly 23 to think of combining these two foods casts significant doubt on the cooking abilities of which I've always been rather proud.

I mean, it's not even an original idea. You can find recipes for twice-baked sweet potatoes EVERYWHERE. Except, until today, on this blog.

Which is a cryin' shame. Because twice-baked sweet potatoes? Are every bit as awesome as you think they are. If you don't think they sound awesome at all, then they are SIGNIFICANTLY MORE awesome than you think they are.

You should try these potatoes, is what I'm trying to say.

This isn't really a recipe. It's a suggestion and an imperative and some vague instructions. Such as:

Bake some sweet potatoes. As many as you like. Rub a bit of oil or bacon grease on them (not too much! just a little!), stab them with a fork a few times (this will be surprisingly difficult, if you're not used to stabbing sweet potatoes), and stick them in a 350-400 degree oven for 45 minutes to an hour. See? Vague. You want them to be tender, is what you're going for here.
Slice them in half (carefully! Don't let the skins rip in half!) and scoop out the guts (carefully! Don't let the skins rip in half!).
Put the guts in a bowl with some stuff. Suggestions for stuff include: bacon, sour cream, cheese (I used cheddar and Gouda because it's what I had in the fridge and oh my, this was a good idea), chives, spices (Cayenne pepper for a nice kick) and anything else you might like.
Mix up the stuff and pile it back into the skins that you didn't rip. Put them back in the oven for 5-10 minutes until the cheese is all melty and the tops are just sliiiighly crusty.

I will never be able to fully accept that sweet potatoes are healthier than regular potatoes, when they're so delicious that they taste like candy.

Seriously. Serve these potatoes for lunch, dinner, side dish, or dessert. You can't go wrong.

Tofu Parmesan

2010-09-21T10:02:00.003-05:00

Don't turn your nose up! This is awesome, really!

The trick is to freeze the tofu:

Step 1: Drain the tofu well. (Cut it into three chunks, place it on a paper towel-lined plate, put more paper towels on top, another plate, and then a jar/can to weight it. I wait about 20 minutes, then change the paper towels out and do it again.)

Step 2: Wrap the tofu in plastic wrap and chuck it in the freezer overnight.

Step 3: Take it out of the freezer several hours before you want to use it. You can thaw it in the microwave on defrost.

Step 4: More draining! Slice the tofu into whatever shape you want (for this recipe, slices about a 1/4" thick), then press firmly with paper towels until it is quite dry.

Now that your have your frozen/thawed slices, here's the loosely-prepared recipe:

1 block extra firm tofu, prepared as above
bread crumbs
1 egg, beaten
flour
parmesan cheese, grated
2 t dried oregano
1 t dried basil
1/2 t garlic powder
salt & pepper
olive oil
8 oz tomato sauce
4 oz shredded mozzarella

First, you'll need to fry up your tofu slices. Heat a couple tablespoons of olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Mix up some bread crumbs with a bit of parmesan, salt and pepper, and any herbage you like.

Lightly dredge each slice of tofu in flour, then dip in the egg wash, then cover with the bread crumb mixture. Pan fry until crunchy. Try not to eat too many pieces before assemblage.

Mix your tomato sauce with the oregano, basil, garlic powder and some salt and pepper. You can use a canned pasta sauce, if you like. I've tried it both ways and found I actually preferred the tangy-ness you get from the plain tomato sauce method. Let this sit for at least fifteen minutes. (I swear, you'll get better flavour if you let it sit.)

In a baking pan, layer sauce/tofu/mozz until everything runs out, making sure you end with a nice layer of cheese. Sprinkle a layer of parmesan over the top and bake at 400 for about 20 minutes, or until nice and bubbly.

I like to serve this with some pasta and garlic bread. And I've made myself really hungry thinking about it.

French Onion Soup

2010-09-13T13:40:00.004-05:00

If I were making a list of my top ten favourite foods, French Onion Soup would be one of them. Since it's always made with beef broth, I'm not able to order it anywhere. It's about time I made my own.

1 pound sweet yellow onions, peeled and thinly sliced (I used my mandolin to get neat, even slices.)

1 quart broth (Beef broth is traditional. I replaced it with vegetable broth, and if you do the same, I recommend breaking out the good stuff. You could certainly make your own. I used the vegetable Better Than Boullion - it was great, and I bet their no-beef broth would be awesome here.)

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 t sugar (You may want to use less, depending on how salty your broth is. Mine was quite salty.)

olive oil, salt and pepper

Loaf of baguette-type bread

Cheese (Gruyere is traditional. I used swiss, because it was what I had on hand.)

Cook the onions in a bit of olive oil over medium heat until they begin to soften but not brown. Add a couple dashes each of salt and pepper, and the sugar, and cook about 15-20 minutes more, stirring frequently, until the onions are dark, soft and very sweet. Add the garlic and the broth and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and let the soup simmer for about 15 minutes.

While there is simmering, there is time to contemplate the serving of your soup. Take your baguette and cut it, on a bias, into slices roughly 1" thick. Shave or shred enough cheese to cover each piece of bread. Now, you can serve the soup in the "traditional" fashion, or the "lazy/I-don't-have-any-oven-safe-bowls" fashion. Your choice.

Traditional: Once the soup is ready, ladle it into oven-safe bowls. Top each bowl with a slice of bread large enough to cover the top, and a handful of cheese. Place these under the broiler until bubbly.

The Way I Serve It: Lay the baguette slices out on a cookie sheet and mist them with olive oil. Then, either rub a halved garlic clove all over them, or sprinkle liberally with powdered garlic. Top each slice with a bit of cheese, then place under the broiler for a few minutes, until everything is bubbly and browning. Ladle up the soup, and float a slice or two of cheesy bread on top.

Lemon Dill Green Beans

2010-06-14T18:03:00.002-05:00

I just happened to throw this veggie dish together one day when I was tired of just the same old green beans. I just started by throwing in a little of this and a little of that and never measured anything, and this is what I came up with.

What you will need (amount obviously varies depending on how much you want to make)

*Frozen (or fresh) green beans. I've done this with the mixed bag of green and yellow beans and turns out good to.
*EVOO (extra virgin olive oil) a generous amount
*Butter (the fake butter works too) a couple table spoons
*lemon juice (fresh or bottled doesn't matter) a good squeeze
*Onion (amount all depends on how much you like onion, I usually use about 1/2 of one) sweet red onions works best but I have used white as well. Sliced in nice sized chunks (or smaller if you like)
*Dill weed (fresh or dried)
*Garlic powder (or fresh)
*Salt

Basically all I do is throw everything into a skillet and cook it on medium heat until the onions and green beans start to turn brown, not very pretty but you get more flavor this way (you can cook them for less time if you like them crunchy) . They will be soft when they are done. The end result isn't very great on looks, but it's full of flavor and thus ends the boring old green beans that so many people are used to. Give it a try and let me know what you think.

No Time For Bierocks

2010-05-28T23:16:00.003-05:00

Do you ever crave bierocks? Wait - maybe that's just me. I really like bierocks, but they take time to make. I don't have an excess of bierock-making hours in my life. So, I cheat. And the result is quite tasty. Here you go:

Bake some fresh rolls. Brown some ground beef and simmer it with a bag of shredded cabbage, a chopped onion, a cup of water, and lots of salt, pepper, garlic. Eat the rolls and the meat mixture together.

The above recipe just sounds too simple to be trusted, doesn't it? Ok, I'll fluff it up a bit. Same ingredients, more words:

First, put some frozen roll dough to rise. Or, if you're really pressed for time, use the frozen pan rolls that you just pop into the oven. But buy a good, "homemade" type brand, not a simple brown-and-serve that you find in the bread aisle. Now, brown a pound or two of ground beef in your largest skillet. I use a 12-inch skillet. If you don't have a large one, use a Dutch oven. Brown the meat well, so that some of it actually turns brown - it will have a much better flavor than if you were to just stir the beef around until it's sort of wet-cement-colored. Next, add one onion, diced. Then dump in a bag of shredded cabbage. I prefer to use the "coleslaw blend" because it contains a bit of shredded carrot, too. This will take up all the room in your skillet, but don't worry, it will cook down. Sprinkle the mound of cabbage liberally with salt and garlic powder, grab the pepper grinder and be generous with it, then add a cup of water. Slap on the lid, lower the heat to a simmer, stir occasionally. When the cabbage is almost tender, put the rolls into the oven to bake. Check the ground beef-cabbage mixture, taste it, and add more salt and pepper to taste. To serve, simply scoop a mound of the yummy meat mixture into a freshly baked roll and enjoy.

There, that's it! Now you can't say that you have no time for bierocks.

Orange-Cheese Danish

2010-05-28T17:18:00.003-05:00

Soooo easy. And soooo good.

What you'll need:

2 (3 oz. ea.) pkgs cream cheese, softened
2 Tablespoons sugar
2 teaspoons milk
1/4 teaspoon almond extract
1 can refrigerated Orange rolls (house brand or Pillsbury)
reserved icing from rolls
2 to 4 Tablespoons sliced or slivered almonds (optional)

What you'll do:

Mix the softened cream cheese, sugar, milk, and almond extract in a smallish bowl. Separate the dough into strips and place on a lightly greased or sprayed cookie sheet. Put the strips side-by-side, with the cinnamon mostly facing up. Spread the cream cheese mixture across the center of the dough strips, leaving a few inches on each side bare. Now, bring the ends of the dough strips to almost meet each other over the cream cheese. Just fold them over gently. Don't press down. Bake at 375 degrees for 25 - 30 minutes until golden brown. Allow the dough to cool for 5 or 6 minutes, then drizzle with the orange frosting. Sprinkle with almonds, if desired. Serve warm.

"Mexican Chocolate" Pudding

2010-04-28T19:36:00.003-05:00

One night, I wanted to make Pudding for One, but had no chocolate chips. I whipped up this cinnamon-y pudding that's become a staple in our house.

1/4 C cocoa powder
4 T flour
1 1/2 C milk
1/3 C sugar
1 t vanilla
1/4 t cinnamon

Combine the cocoa powder and the flour. Gradually whisk in the milk.

Microwave on high for 2 minutes and stir.

Now lower the microwave to medium, and microwave for 90 seconds, then stir. Do this twice more, or until it's thickened.

Add your sugar, vanilla and cinnamon. Spoon into individual cups and refrigerate, or eat right out of the bowl while it's still hot.

Sweet Spiced Pork Roast

2010-04-18T11:21:00.005-05:00

The other day we bought a pork roast for dinner and didn't know what to do with it, so we threw it in the crock pot with two ingredients, cooked it for about five hours, and were rather surprised when it was amazingly delicious. It's no Slow Cooked, Seasoned Pulled Pork, but it involves some similar flavors and takes five hours instead of two days.

All I did was pat some Crash Hot Sweet Potato Spice over the roast, brown in it a skillet, drop it in the crock pot, and pour over a can of Coke. (If you don't feel like clicking through to the recipe: combine brown sugar with cumin, garlic powder, onion powder, and every kind of chili powder you have in the house, plus a bit of salt and pepper, in whatever proportions seem appropriate).

That's it! It turned out tender and flavorful. We used a $6 pork roast and a generic soda and fed six people off of it, so it works well on your shoestring budget meals.

Simple Tomato Sauce

2010-03-23T10:06:00.003-06:00

This, for me, is The Sauce. It's surprisingly cheap. It's elegantly simple. It's incredibly tasty. It requires only slightly more effort than opening a jar. You'll never want to pour Ragu on your spaghetti again.

This is a recipe which has made its rounds on cooking blogs. I first saw it on Smitten Kitchen. It apparently originates here, in a book which is near the top of my wish list.

Anyway, the sauce. The Sauce. There are three ingredients in the original recipe: tomatoes, onion and butter. Yes, that's it. No pinch of sugar or cinnamon, no dribble of red wine, none of that. If you're me, and you're bad, you assault The Sauce with a couple cloves of garlic. This here is the way I make it (garlic; doubled; with residual onion bits) - that Smitten Kitchen post has the original, unadulterated recipe.

You need:

2 28oz cans whole peeled tomatoes (Any brand will work, but San Marzano are especially good. You do have to search a bit for them.)

10 T butter (I usually have salted on hand, so that's what I use. If you use unsalted, you'll probably want to have some salt nearby.)

2 medium yellow onions, peeled and halved

3 cloves garlic, minced

Put everything in your biggest saucepan. Bring it to a simmer, then drop the heat, keeping it at a slow, steady simmer for about 45 minutes. Stir it every now and then, crushing the tomatoes against the side of the pot. The original recipe tells you to remove and discard the onion - me, I like the onion, and it's usually started to disintegrate by that point anyway, so I remove only the biggest, most solid chunks - and then I crush some of those up with a fork and put them back in.

That's it. For me, this makes enough sauce for a pound of noodles, and I always make that much because the leftovers are fantastic.

Grandma's Old-fashioned Oatmeal Cookies

2010-03-21T14:50:00.002-06:00

This is the best oatmeal cookie recipe ever! It's a very old recipe, though to look at the list of ingredients it seems like just about any other oatmeal cookie recipe. The secret to their special deliciousness is the trick of soaking the raisins in the egg and vanilla for an hour. One day when I was in a hurry, I omitted that step and the end result was not as good. So, trust me on this one.

1 cup raisins
3 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup shortening
1 cup lightly packed brown sugar
1 cup white sugar
2 1/2 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 to 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
2 cups oatmeal
1/2 to 1 cup chopped nuts (optional)

Beat the 3 eggs in a smallish bowl with the vanilla; add raisins. Let this set for one hour. (you don't need to refrigerate it.) Next, cream the shortening and the two sugars together, add to egg mixture. In a medium bowl, stir together the flour, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon; add to creamed mixture and mix well. Stir in oatmeal and nuts. Now, preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Scoop up dough by heaping teaspoons and form into balls. Roll in additional white sugar. Place on cookie sheet. Dip the bottom of a small glass in sugar and flatten each cookie. Bake at 350 degrees for 10 to 12 minutes. Don't overbake! Enjoy, enjoy, enjoy. Great warm or cold.

Puppy Chow

2010-03-13T20:23:00.004-06:00

Puppy chow! Was not already on the blog! How weird is that? Really weird. This is a holiday staple, you guys. We cannot have Christmas without puppy chow. And that's the only time we ever make it , which is also really weird. Puppy chow is an all-occasion wonder snack.

Ingredients:

6 oz (and by six I mean seven or eight) milk chocolate chips
6 oz (ditto) semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 cup peanut butter
1/2 cup butter
1 box Crispix cereal
4 cups powdered sugar

Melt together everything meltable. Pour over Crispix. Toss to coat. This is the only hard part of the recipe. Because if you actually toss it, I'm pretty sure you'll end up with a mess. And if you stir it with a giant spoon, you'll crush all the cereal. But that's okay. Crushed puppy chow is good too. When it's all nicely coated, dump it into a large paper bag (or a large tupperware bowl with a lid), add the powdered sugar, and shake shake shake. This is the totally fun part.

Now you should try to let it cool before eating. This is the other hard part. Then you should eat it.

This is the other totally fun part.

Makes enough for one or two really big Christmas parties.

"Southwestern" Hash

2010-03-04T19:54:00.004-06:00

This really shouldn't be called a recipe, but I make it (or some variant of it) often enough it's worth mentioning.

1/2 pound sliced mushrooms

1/4 medium onion, sliced

1 bag of Simply Potatoes "Southwestern" hash browns (You could certainly improvise another shredded potato product. I've never used frozen potatoes, but you could probably make it work. You could also, if you're that sort of person, shred your own potatoes, in which case you'd need 4.5 C, plus some chopped peppers.)

about 4 oz cheese (I like swiss), shredded

5-6 slices soy bacon, cooked and crumbled (Or real bacon, if you prefer pork products.)

4 eggs

2 T spicy brown mustard

Salt and pepper to taste

Butter and olive oil for cooking

Heat about 1 T of butter and 1 T of olive oil in a big skillet. Add the sliced mushrooms and onions, and cook until the mushrooms start to brown. Then, add a bit more oil and dump in the potatoes. Stir it all together, then let it rest a minute or so before stirring again. (Do this repeatedly - you don't want actual hashbrowns, so you want to stir, but you don't want to stir too often or things don't brown well.)

While the potatoes cook, combine the eggs, mustard, shredded cheese and bacon in a bowl. Whisk everything together until well combined and slightly foamy (like you're making an omelete).

When the potato shreds are done (meaning they no longer have the taste/texture of raw potato), pour the egg mixture into the skillet and stir, stir, stir! The egg and melted cheese binds everything together. It's ready when you no longer see raw egg. Serve as you see fit - sour cream, salsa, extra cheese, etc.

Spinach Artichoke Lasagna

2010-02-22T11:21:00.004-06:00

Ken loves this stuff. And I don't blame him - it's excellent. Allow me to pat myself on the back.

Get these things:

12 lasagna noodles (I use no-cook, because it saves that much time. Obviously, if yours aren't no-cook, you'll need to cook them, or you'll have a very strange lasagna.)

1 medium onion, chopped

4 cloves garlic, minced

1 14.5 oz can vegetable broth

1 can artichoke hearts, drained and chopped (The original recipe called for marinated. I haven't been able to find marinated, so I've just been using plain hearts. There's nothing wrong with that.)

1 t dried rosemary

10 oz fresh spinach (I use bagged baby spinach, you could also prep your own, or use frozen. Make sure you thaw/drain it first, though.)

3 C tomato sauce (I use what we have on hand - usually a jarred sauce with mushrooms.)

1 C ricotta cheese

4 C shredded mozzarella

4 oz feta, crumbled (You can use plain, or one of the herbed varieties.)

Do these things:

Preheat the oven to 350. Grease a 13x9 dish.

In a big pan over medium heat, sauté the onion in olive oil until it softens a bit. Add the garlic and give it a couple more minutes.

Add the broth and the rosemary, and bring the pot to a boil. Add your artichokes and the spinach. Reduce heat to a simmer, and let it go for about five minutes. (Assuming you're using fresh spinach, you'll want to stir a few times as it wilts.) Stir in the pasta sauce.

Now, um, make it into a lasagna, and then sprinkle the feta all over the top.

HANDY LASAGNA SCHEMATIC
(Key: * = feta, /= mozzarella, - = spinach mix, ~ = noodles, o = ricotta plops)

(top of pan)

*************
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ooooooooooooo
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Cover the pan with foil and bake it for 40 minutes. Then remove the foil and bake it for ten more. THEN flip on the broiler and put it under the broiler for three minutes. (Yes, the broiler makes a difference. Don't you want a delicious cheese crust on your lasagna?)

Eat, and enjoy the admiration.

Mushroom Stew

2010-02-17T16:54:00.006-06:00

This recipe is actually titled "Mushroom Bourguignon", and it comes from Smitten Kitchen, one of my favourite blogs. You should head over there first - it's her recipe (I changed very, very little), and she has amazing pictures of it.

When I first saw it, I drooled, but just about moved on - bourguignon = complicated and full of meat, in my mind. The pictures got stuck in my head, though - meaty 'shrooms in dark, rich broth...yeah, I had to try it. I'm very glad I went back for this one. It tastes like you spent hours on it, but it's really quite easy. I was sad, sad, sad when the leftovers were gone.

2 T olive oil

3 T butter

2 pounds mushrooms, sliced about 1/4" thick (I use one pound of portobellos and one pound of cremini.)

2 carrots, diced

1 medium yellow onion, diced

3 cloves minced garlic

1 C red wine (I use Yellow Tail Merlot)

2 C vegetable broth

2 T tomato paste

1/2 t dried thyme

1 1/2 T flour

1 C pearl onions, peeled

salt and pepper

egg noodles and sour cream, for serving

In your biggest sauce pan (I use my 6 quart for this), heat 1 T of the oil and 1 T of the butter on high. Add the mushrooms and cook until they start to sear, but before they get juicy (I set a timer for four minutes, and stir them a lot). Remove them from the pan, and, if possible, put them somewhere where people won't pick at them like I always do. (Also: put them in a bowl. A plate may get messy. And for love of all that's holy, DON'T PUT THEM ON PAPER TOWELS. This will cause major facepalming on my part.)

Turn the heat down and add 1 T of oil and 1 T of butter. Dump in the carrots, onions, thyme, and a several pinches of salt and pepper. Let these cook for about 10 minutes, until the onions are started to brown a bit. (Or, if you're me, get distracted and burn the onions. I do it EVERY TIME. Don't worry, still tastes great.) Add the minced garlic and cook for the time it takes you to wrestle open the bottle of wine. (A minute or two, that's all.)

Add your C of wine to the pan, and be sure to scrape all the yummy bits off the bottom. Crank the heat up until it boils, then turn it back down to medium. Pour in the broth and add the tomato paste. Dump that bowl of mushrooms (plus any juices they've left behind) back into the pot. Get everything up to a boil again, then reduce again, and let the whole thing simmer for about 15 minutes.

Add your pearl onions, and simmer for 10 more minutes. In a separate bowl, combine the flour and remaining 1 T of butter. Add that to the stew, and cook for 5-10 more minutes, or until the sauce is the right consistency. Mine's usually ready pretty quickly. Partly because I'm hungry.

Serve it over egg noodles, with lots of sour cream.

Spicy Ginger Soda

2010-02-17T15:57:00.003-06:00

Spicy ginger soda! The end product of something that started out as African ginger beer once upon a time for somebody else's school project. African ginger beer takes hours to make and involves a lot of effort and fresh ingredients. Which is wonderful. But you'll have to google that recipe yourself if you want it, because I'm presenting its cheap, fast, and easy incarnation. The most difficult part of this recipe will be hauling off to the nearest Asian market for instant ginger tea. Let me tell you about instant ginger tea.

INSTANT GINGER TEA: is found in Asian markets. This is not leaf tea or tea that you steep in a bag. It is individual packets of weird little orangish pellets that dissolve instantly in hot water. And are very, very strong. You should be keeping this stuff on hand for sick times. It's perfect for stomachaches and even more perfect for sore throats. To sum up: ginger tea = miracle drink. One package costs about three dollars and contains I don't remember how many packets. Unless you want ginger coming out of your pores, you'll only be using about 1/3 of a packet for any given drink, so one package will last you for months. And now, let us move on to:

SPICY GINGER SODA: Dissolve 1/3 - 1/2 of a ginger packet in a small amount of hot water. Stir. Or put it in a cocktail shaker and shake, if you're that kind of fancy. Add ice cubes and cool things down. Add a small splash of almond extract or - and I highly recommend this - a bigger splash of Disaronno. Fill up with ginger ale (7-up could work in a pinch). Garnish with lime. Or don't. I never have, it just sounds like a classy idea. Serve cold.

Green Lentil Loaf

2010-02-17T11:24:00.003-06:00

I've been trying to type an introduction to this recipe for almost half an hour. Here's what you really need to know, without all the fluff:

- It's delicious.

Yeah, just try this. Don't be turned off by its vegetarianness. Some people may even tell you it's "healthier". It's moist and loaf-y, and great with mashed potatoes and mushroom gravy. And ketchup. Just like meatloaf.

You will need:

2 C cooked green lentils (They just about double in volume - so I use 1 cup plus a little more, and have more lentils than I need. Make sure your lentils are well cooked, otherwise you have a crumbly loaf - still tasty, but not the same.)

2 T tomato paste

6 slices bread, torn into small pieces (white, wheat, sourdough, whatever...no cinnamon raisin, please)

3 eggs

1 C vegetable broth

1/2 t dried basil

1/4 t garlic powder

1/2 t black pepper

1 t dried parsley

1 T olive oil

1/2 - 1 packet dry onion soup mix (That's right, dry soup mix. More soup mix = more onion flavour, but also more salt. I find that 3/4 is actually about right.)

"Loaf Glaze" (You know, that stuff you put on meatloaf. Take about 1/4 C of ketchup and add vinegar and brown sugar to it. Start with a T of each and go up from there. When it's reached the level of sweet 'n' tangy you like, you're good. Don't like sweet, tangy glazes? What's you problem? Okay, you can skip it, or you can use plain ketchup.)

Now do this stuff:

Preheat your oven to 400F.

Grease up a 9x5 loaf pan. (My grease of choice is butter. Because it's butter.)

In a large bowl, combine the cooked lentils, bread, eggs, broth, tomato paste, basil, garlic powder, black pepper, parsley, olive oil and soup mix. Stir, stir, stir, then dump it into your greasy pan.

Bake the loaf for 40 minutes. Remove loaf, cover top with glaze and bake another 10-15 minutes, or until the top is nice and gooey. Let it sit about 10 minutes before serving, or you wind up with a sloppy plate.

Saucy Chocolate Pudding Cake

2010-01-04T11:28:00.003-06:00

Yes!!!! If you need a chocolate fix, this is for you. I thought I had lost this old recipe, but located it recently in my old recipe box, misfiled. It's super delicious!

Cake instructions:

1/4 cup shortening
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 cup sugar
2 oz. melted chocolate, unsweetened
1 cup flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
2/3 cup milk

Cream the first 4 ingredients, then add melted chocolate. Mix dry ingredients and add to chocolate mixture alternately with 2/3 cup milk. Set aside.

Sauce instructions:

2/3 cup sugar
2 cups water
1 oz. melted chocolate
1/8 teaspoon salt

In medium saucepan, mix all ingredients and bring to a boil, stirring frequently. Pour liquid into a greased 1 1/2 or 2 quart casserole. Drop cake batter by tablespoon into hot syrup. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes. (or cook on top of stove in a covered saucepan over low heat for 25 minutes.) Makes approximately six servings.

Dilly Ham Sandwiches

2010-01-04T11:18:00.002-06:00

This recipe dates back to pre-microwave days. It's the best ham sandwich ever! I think the credit goes to Pat for this one.

1 cup real butter
1/2 cup finely minced onion
1/4 cup mustard
1/2 teaspoon dill weed
1 lb. thinly sliced deli ham
sliced Swiss cheese
1 dozen potato rolls

Mix the first 4 ingredients and let set overnight in refrigerator. When ready to prepare, spread butter mixture onto split rolls. (If you can't find potato rolls, use sweet Italian or another good roll) Now pile on the shredded ham; top with cheese. Wrap in foil and store in freezer. To serve, heat foil-wrapped sandwiches in a 350 degree oven for 30 to 45 minutes.

These are great to have on hand in the freezer. If you prefer to heat them in the microwave, simply wrap the sandwiches in plastic wrap instead of foil. Heat carefully in the microwave, or the bread will become tough. I really prefer to cook these in a regular oven, because it seems to improve the flavor.

Spicy Peach Salad

2010-01-01T21:21:00.002-06:00

Here's a good one. A bit different than your run-of-the-mill gelatin salad.

2 (3 oz) pkgs orange gelatin
1 1/4 cups cold water
1 large can sliced peaches
1/2 cup sugar
1/3 cup apple cider vinegar
1 large stick whole cinnamon
12 whole cloves

Drain peaches, reserving juice. Measure juice and water to make 1 1/2 cups liquid. Combine with the sugar, vinegar, and spices. Bring to a boil and simmer 5 minutes. Add sliced peaches; simmer 5 minutes longer. Remove peaches and spices from syrup; set aside peaches and discard the spices. Measure syrup and add boiling water to make 2 1/2 cups. Dissolve the gelatin in the hot syrup by stirring for 3 minutes, then add the cold water. Chill until mixture reaches the consistency of heavy syrup. Add the peach slices; pour into a serving dish. Chill until firm.

Copycats

2009-12-26T10:40:00.002-06:00

This candy is, by general consensus, THE BEST THING IN THE WORLD. I'm not making this up. That's what people call it. We call it copycats because it's like a Snickers...but so much better, you'll never want a Snickers again. It takes a while to make, but it makes a metric ton (thereabouts), so unless you throw really big parties, you'll have some on hand for a while. AND without further ado, here is the recipe for Copycats.

Ingredients for layer one:

2 tsp butter
1 cup milk chocolate chips
1/4 cup butterscotch chips (the secret ingredient - you can't really tell they're in there, but you can definitely tell if they're not)
1/4 cups creamy peanut butter

Melt everything in a microwave-safe bowl, or on the stove over low heat if you want to be old school. Line a 13 X 9 pan with foil; spray with cooking spray. Pour in the chocolate mixture, spread evenly, and refrigerate until set (about 30 minutes).

Ingredients for nougat layer:

1/4 cup butter
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup evaporated milk (we used cream to no ill effects)
1 1/2 cups marshmallow creme (one regular sized jar)
1/4 cup creamy peanut butter
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups salted peanuts, chopped or whole or whatever

This time you will need the stove. Melt the butter over medium heat. Add the milk and sugar and bring to a gentle boil. Reduce to medium-low and stir for five minutes, then take it off the heat. Stir in the jar of marshmallow creme, the peanut butter, and the vanilla. Add the peanuts. Spread over the chocolate layer in the pan. Admire how lovely and candylike it is. Refrigerate until set.

Ingredients for the caramel layer:

1 package of caramels. Yes, I know this sounds like cheating. It is. That's okay.
1/4 cup heavy whipping cream

Important first step: unwrap the caramels. Have a spontaneous caramel-shelling party. It won't take long, I promise. Combine the caramels and cream in a saucepan and stir over low heat until smooth. Keep stirring for a few more minutes, but don't let it boil! If it boils, your caramel layer will become caramel brittle and will crack teeth. If this does happen though, all is not lost. You'll just have to always let the candy sit to room temperature before eating.

Spread in pan. Refrigerate until set. Cue broken record.

Ingredients for the Fourth and Final Layer:

1 cup milk chocolate chips
1/4 cup butterscotch chips
1/4 cup creamy peanut butter

Home stretch now, folks. Melt these ingredients in any way you see fit (microwave? stove? interior of your car on a summer day?), spread over the caramel layer, and refrigerate for at least four hours.

And now your candy is ready.

You'll want to keep it refrigerated, but take it out at least thirty minutes before you intend to eat it because otherwise cutting it will be murder. For you and the candy. Cut into tiny tiny squares because it is SUPER RICH and besides, that way you can eat more pieces and count them like treasure.

Share with your friends. Share with your enemies, and they shall become your friends.

Devil's Food Chocolate Cake

2009-12-03T08:09:00.002-06:00

I've been searching lately for the perfect chocolate cake, and I think this may be it. It's dark and moist and tender and just dense enough. It goes great with homemade cream cheese frosting.

Ingredients:

3 oz unsweetened chocolate
1 1/3 cup flour
3/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
Six tbsp unsalted butter (unless you're like me and never have the stuff around the house. I used salted and cut back the 1/2 tsp of salt just slightly)
3/4 cup boiling water
1 1/2 c sugar
6 tbsp sour cream or buttermilk
2 large eggs

Combine flour and baking soda in a small mixing bowl. In a larger bowl, melt the chocolate. Add the butter, cut into six pieces, then the boiling water. Stir until the butter is all melted, then whisk in the sugar and the sour cream, then the flour mixture, then the eggs.

Pour into two 9" cake pans lined with greased parchment paper or, if your cake pans have suddenly and inexplicably disappeared off the the face of the earth, pour it all into a 13"x9" pan and make a sheet cake. Bake for about 30 minutes at 350, until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes away clean.

Wilted Spinach Salad

2009-12-01T20:37:00.002-06:00

This is my new favorite salad. It's a combination of something my mom made once, something I found on the internet, and something I largely improvised.

Ingredients for four small or two large salads:

4 slices of bacon
2 tbsp bacon grease reserved from said bacon
2 tsp sugar
1 tbsp Balsamic vinegar
salt and pepper
spinach or spring mix
Stuff for your salad (I used black olives and sliced red bell pepper)

Cook the bacon until good and crunchy and reserve the 2 tbsp of grease. Crumble the bacon to be used on the salad. Make the dressing by combining the bacon grease, the sugar, the salt and pepper, and the vinegar. Zap it in the microwave until it's boiling, then pour it over the salad and serve immediately.

Pineapple Stuff

2009-11-27T15:33:00.004-06:00

How have we not posted this before? This is a family classic. It causes great excitement wherever it goes, and great disappointment if it gets dropped upside down on the carpet as soon as you walk in the door with it.

So don't drop it. You'll make people sad.

Pineapple stuff has four ingredients: 2 sticks of butter, one cup of sugar, four cups of white french bread all torn up, and a 20 oz can of crushed pineapple.

Melt the butter and pour over the torn-up bread in a large bowl. Then add the sugar and pineapple. Stir well. Dump into an ungreased 13 X 9 pan and bake at 350 for an hour, or until slightly golden on top.

Simple, right? And it keeps warm really well in a crock pot.

Oh and also, it's totally health food. Because it has fruit in it, people.

Slow Cooked, Seasoned Pulled Pork

2009-11-05T12:39:00.002-06:00

This is the best way to prepare pork, ever. I dream about this dish. I have to make up special occasions to have an excuse to fix this for dinner. The original recipe is here, which includes instructions on cooking it in the oven. Since I'm a crock pot girl, I'm just going to do it my way.

You need to start this recipe the day before you want to serve it. You'll brine it one day, and cook it the next.

First of all, you'll need a big hunk of pork. If you can swing it, buy a large Boston butt. I usually buy a seven pound butt for 5-6 people, and that works out to just over $2.00 per person, which is really not bad. Make sure it has a nice layer of fat on one side and a bone running part of the way through. We need this for flavor.

Now, let's make the dry rub:

1/2 cup brown sugar (leave it out - you'll use it again later)
1 tbsp salt (ditto)
1 tbsp onion powder
1 tbsp garlic powder
1 tbsp chili powder (get creative here with your leftover spices from the Crash Hot Sweet Potatoes)
1 tbsp cayenne pepper
1 tbsp paprika (or half regular and half smoked sweet paprika)
1 tbsp ground black pepper

Yes, it's rather like the sweet potato spice we just did. In fact, if you're like me and you're now keeping a container of prepared sweet potato spice on hand at all times, you could probably go ahead and just use that.

Now set that aside and work on the brine:

2 quarts cold water
1/2 cup salt
3 tbsp dry rub mix
1 bay leaf
1/2 cup brown sugar (you can put it away now)

Stir the salt into the water until completely dissolved, then add the brown sugar and dry rub mix and keep stirring. Finally, add the bay leaf. Find something large enough to hold the pork but small enough to fit in your fridge. You can use a large pitcher, a bowl, or a giant Ziploc bag. Make sure the pork is completely covered in brine solution. Leave it in the fridge for at least eight hours. I usually do more like 20 hours. I put it in the solution in the morning, then turn it before I go to bed.

If you're serving this for dinner, then you want to start cooking it first thing that morning. Take it out of the brine solution, and pat it dry with paper towels (this will help the dry rub stick). Then roll up your sleeves and press that dry rub onto every inch of the roast. Get it in all the little crevices. Don't skimp. Odds are there will still be some left when you're done. Keep it. You can mix it in with the finished product for some extra kick when you're done.

Now that your butt is sufficiently rubbed and covered in spice (that's a sentence I don't write every day), go ahead and drop it in the crock pot. I like to add about 1/4 cup water, but I don't think it's necessary. Now turn it on low and let it cook for ten hours or so. If you don't have ten hours, start it on high and switch to low after a couple hours.

When this thing is done, you won't need to pull it apart. You just look at it, and it separates. Your only job is to try and remove all of the bone and most of the fat. And to taste lots of samples and lick grease off your fingers.

Serve this however you want. I'd eat it plain, but we usually do sandwiches. This is supposed to be enough for lots of leftovers, but don't count on it.

It serves exactly as many people as there are.

Ultimate Chili

2009-10-23T11:36:00.003-05:00

It has chocolate and four kinds of beans. That makes it ultimate, right? This is, so far, the only chili that I really care for. It's so rich that you could probably omit the meat entirely without any ill effects, which is why I'm tagging it vegetarian.

Ingredients:

1 lb ground meat
1 onion, diced
1 red bell pepper, diced
1-2 jalapenos, or a can of green chilies
4-5 cloves of garlic, minced
4 15-oz cans of beans, rinsed. Pick out whatever combination you have on hand, or whatever sounds good at the time. I used pinto, kidney, Great Northern, and red beans.
1 28-oz can crushed or diced tomatoes
1 15-oz can corn
1 15-oz can chicken (or vegetable) broth
2 tbsp oil
5 tbsp chili powder (yes, that's tablespoons. I used about three, plus another tbsp combined ancho chili powder, chipotle chili powder, and New Mexico chili powder, left over from my sweet potatoes)
1 tbsp cumin
1 tbsp oregano
1/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Sauté the onions, garlic, bell pepper, and jalapenos in oil until translucent, then add the meat, cook through, and drain. If you want to cook this in a pot, go ahead and do this in the pot you want to cook with. If not, dump everything into the crock pot now.

Stir in the spices. Stir in the tomatoes, beans, corn, and broth.

As soon as it gets hot enough, be very brave and stir in the chocolate chips. Or, if you're me, resist the urge to dump in the entire bag.

Simmer gently for as long as possible. The longer it cooks, the better it tastes.

If using a crock pot, start it on high for an hour then switch it to low.

This is even better the next day. And it's super good for Frito chili pies.

French-style Green Beans

2009-10-23T11:28:00.004-05:00

We're going to call this French-style because I found the recipe on a French website. And translated it for your dining pleasure. Really, though. It's now my favorite way to cook green beans. Actually, I wasn't a big fan of green beans before, but I could eat these every day.

It's the onion. I'll eat anything that has caramelized onion in it. I'd eat caramelized onions on ice cream.

The cream doesn't hurt, either.

Oh, and the almonds are great.

So yes, it's just generally a good recipe.

Ingredients:

1 can of your favorite green beans - whole, French cut, regular cut, whatever. Use fresh if you want to. It's all good. Use two cans if you're really hungry. Use three if you have company.
1 onion, caramelized. The original recipe called for, like, 1/4 of an onion. As if.
Slivered or sliced almonds. I use half of one small packet. Use as many as you like.
1-3 tbsp cream or coconut milk, depending on how decadent you feel.

Make sure you start caramelizing the onion early enough. Then start the green beans cooking and the almonds browning in some butter. Watch them closely. Do not burn them.

When everything is done, just drain the green beans (if all the liquid hasn't cooked away), mix everything in, and serve! It's a very pretty dish, as well as being super good and feeling way more indulgent than it really is.

Sweet & Savory Squash Casserole

2009-10-23T11:03:00.003-05:00

This is adapted from a recipe in the Better Homes and Gardens cookbook. It's ostensibly a side dish, but it could be my whole dinner. And lunch. And breakfast. Seriously.

Ingredients:

1 large or 2 small butternut squashes (I'm sure sweet potatoes would work, too)
1 large, ripe pear
1 large yellow onion
3 tbsp bread crumbs
4 slices bacon, crumbled
1/4 c chopped walnuts
2 tbsp Parmesan cheese
1 tbsp butter, melted

As soon as you think of it, start caramelizing the onion. I like to cook mine for about two hours over low heat, but do what you have to do.

Peel the squash (not as daunting as it sounds - just a regular potato/carrot peeler will do) and slice into 1/2" - 1" slices. Peel the pear, and use your best knife to slice it as thin as you can. Place one layer of squash into a baking dish, then one layer of pear. Repeat.

If you thought ahead and already have some beautifully caramelized onion, scoop that over the top now. If not, keep cooking and you can add it at the last fifteen minutes like I always do.

Bake - covered - at 350 for 45 minutes to 1 hour, until the squash is nice and tender. Meanwhile, combine the rest of the ingredients in a small bowl. When the squash is tender, take it out of the oven and spread your onions evenly on top, then sprinkle on the topping. Bake another 10-15 minutes uncovered.

Serves one. Unless you're not greedy like me. In which case it serves 4-6 as a side dish.

Crash Hot Sweet Potatoes

2009-09-30T12:31:00.005-05:00

I love the name. I love the potatoes even more. I think the recipe originated here, but it's been making the rounds on lots of different websites. With good reason. They are sweet and spicy and creamy and completely addicting. Try them. Try them right now.

Ingredients:

As many sweet potatoes as you think you can eat (and you'll be stuffing yourselves with them). My amounts will be for about 4 medium-sized sweet potatoes. Adjust as needed.
3 tbsp brown sugar
1 tsp kosher salt (I used no salt and substituted onion salt for onion powder)
1 tsp ground cumin (don't be scared, it tastes great in the end)
1 tsp New Mexico chili powder
1 tsp smoked sweet paprika (regular paprika, if regular and hot are the only two choices)
1/2 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp chipotle chili powder
1/2 tsp ancho chili powder
1/4 tsp granulated garlic (I'm sure garlic powder would work, too)
2 tbsp butter
1 tbsp olive oil

I found the chili powders and the paprika (and the granulated garlic) at The Spice Merchant in Wichita. I'm sure they're not too difficult to find. And they're worth it. Actually, the original recipe didn't call for ancho chili powder, but ancho chili powder is a bad idea never, amiright?

Peel your sweet potatoes and then slice them about an inch and a half thick. Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Drop in your sweet potatoes, be suspicious of any that sink, and boil them for 10-20 minutes, until they're smashable but not cooked completely through.

Take them out and let them cool.

Now, if you're adventurous, you smash them. You can do it right on the parchment paper (yes, you need parchment paper. They'll stick otherwise.) with a clear bowl so that you can see what you're doing. Use a spatula to slide the smashed potatoes off the bottom of the bowl. What we're doing here is making pretty edges, and giving them an opportunity to get sort of crispy and brown in the oven. Mine didn't, so I might not be smashing them next time. You could even do this to an entire sweet potato, but for that I would recommend smashing it, just to get more surface area for the spices.

Mix the spices in a bowl and set aside.

Preheat the oven to 375.

Melt the butter in small bowl, mix with olive oil, and then brush onto each potato. Sprinkle some of the spice mixture onto each one. Don't be stingy. Try gently patting the spices on to make sure they stick to the butter and oil. Flip each one over. They flip surprisingly well. Brush on the butter and oil, sprinkle with the remaining spices, and pop them in the oven for about 15 minutes. Take them out, flip them over (this does not work surprisingly well - it's kind of messy), eat all the crusty black caramelized sugar-spice from the spatula, and put them back in the oven for another ten minutes or so.

ETA: If you want a quicker and/or potluck appropriate dish, try it this way: Peel and slice your sweet potatoes like you're making scalloped potatoes (if you have a food processor with a slicing blade, it works just fine) and spread about half of them in a greased baking dish. Brush over some butter/olive oil mixture, then sprinkle a goodly amount of spice over them. Add another layer of potatoes and brush with butter/olive oil again. Sprinkle on some more spice. Bake, covered, until potatoes are tender - about 45 minutes to an hour. In the meantime, prepare some more spice mixture by combining it with equal part of brown sugar - we have a lot of surface area and we don't want it to be too spicy. Spread this over the top, put it back in the oven uncovered for another fifteen to twenty minutes to get the top all caramelized, and you're good to go. I think I may actually prefer them this way.

Fudge Frosting

2009-09-29T17:05:00.002-05:00

This is my favorite chocolate frosting. It's very easy to make and has such wonderful homemade flavor. If you want it to be even more fudgy, add another square of chocolate.

2 (1oz) squares unsweetened chocolate, melted
1/4 cup butter (not margarine)
3 1/2 cups sifted powdered sugar
1/3 cup milk, cream, or half-and-half
1 tsp. vanilla

In a medium mixing bowl, combine melted chocolate and butter, stir to blend. Slowly add powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla. Beat well.

Mom's Scalloped Chicken

2009-09-29T16:17:00.004-05:00

This has always been a holiday dish because it makes a large amount. It's so good! One serving won't be enough... you'll be back.

1 hen or 2 fryers, stewed, deboned, and cut into bite-sized pieces (save the broth)
1 1/2 cups chopped celery
1/2 onion, chopped
1 can condensed mushroom soup
1 cup processed American cheese, shredded
2 beaten eggs
round, buttery crackers, crushed to make 4 cups
4 cups chicken broth

Combine celery and onion with broth and simmer until tender. Mix all ingredients except crackers thoroughly. Add 3 cups of the crackers, mix gently. Pour mixture into a 13 x 9 inch pan; sprinkle remaining cracker crumbs on top. Bake at 325 degrees for 50 to 60 minutes or until golden brown.

For a quicker version, simply use a deli-roasted chicken and canned chicken broth. The taste is still fantastic!

Blackberry Wine Cake

2009-09-28T20:45:00.004-05:00

Everyone comes back for more of this moist, delicious cake.

1 (18.25 oz.) white cake mix
1 (3 oz.) package blackberry gelatin mix
4 eggs
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 cup blackberry wine

Glaze:
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1/2 cup blackberry wine

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Grease and flour a 10-inch Bundt cake pan. In a large mixing bowl, stir together cake ingredients, then mix at medium speed for 4 minutes. Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake in 325 degree oven for 40 to 45 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Spoon half of the glaze over the warm cake. After 10 minutes, remove from pan. Cool cake and spoon remaining glaze over the top. To make the glaze, simply whisk together the wine and the powdered sugar.

Roasted Broccoli

2009-07-28T15:08:00.005-05:00

I wasn't really sure what to title this recipe. When I found it, it was called The Best Broccoli of Your Life, which was appropriate. I considered Broccoli to Make People Beg, or Everybody's New Favorite Lunch, Dinner, Side Dish, or Snack. But those are rather long and complicated. So I'm going with the subtle, understated, boringly descriptive Roasted Broccoli. This broccoli is amazing. It could be a meal all by itself. It should be. It's that good. Oh and also it's super easy.

Ingredients:

Two large heads of broccoli
1/4 cup plus 1 tbsp olive oil
Salt and pepper
4 garlic cloves, peeled and sliced
1 lemon
Parmesan cheese

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.

Cut the broccoli into bite-sized florets. Either don't wash them at all (on the theory that half an hour in a hot oven will kill all the germs) or dry them obsessively after you do wash them. They need to be dry.

Line a cookie sheet with tin foil and throw down the broccoli. Toss it with 1/4 cup olive oil, salt, pepper, and the garlic. Bake for 20-25 minutes. The tips of some of the broccoli should just be starting to brown.

You're not done yet. Here comes the fun part. Dump the broccoli into a pretty serving bowl and zest the lemon into it. Then squeeze out the lemon juice. Then add another tablespoon olive oil. Then add the parmesan cheese, freshly grated or from a can.

Stir well. Be prepared to hand over the recipe.

Perfect Tortillas

2009-06-17T11:43:00.004-05:00

I never considered making tortillas until the day when I wanted to make fajitas for dinner and found that tortillas are somewhat scarce and expensive in France. But as it turns out, tortillas are super easy to make and ten times more delicious than store-bought. And fun! If, you know, you happen to find bread baking types of activities fun. Recipe via The Fresh Loaf. Go there for pretty pictures and an enlightening discussion about various fats.

Ingredients:

2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup lard (this is the Secret Ingredient)
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking powder
3/4 cup warm milk (or water, for somewhat less tender results)

Throw the dry ingredients in a bowl and combine. Add the lard, and mix by hand or with a mixer until the mixture is grainy. By hand isn't as difficult as you might think. I use a fork and a spoon and it works just fine.

Add the warm milk and mix until it becomes dough that you can pick up with your hands. If you use some fancy cooking equipment, like a wooden spoon, this will work better. It's not that tablespoons don't work, it's just that they become a bit...bendy. Such are the perils of cooking abroad with an understocked kitchen.

When the dough comes together, lightly flour your hands and scoop it up. Or just turn on the stand mixer for five minutes. If you're doing it by hand, knead it and squeeze it and squish it and dance with it for a few minutes.

Divide into twelve equalish balls. Put them in time-out for thirty minutes.

After the thirty minutes is up, flatten them with your hand and use a rolling pin (i.e. an old wine bottle) to roll them into 6 or 7 inch tortillas. The idea is to make them round, but splatter-shaped tastes just fine.

Lightly grease a griddle or a skillet or a crêpe pan (I am in France) and throw on the tortillas. As many as will fit at a time. They cook very quickly. Regrease, repeat, and try to avoid eating them all before dinner.

Japanese Sesame Chicken

2009-06-14T07:55:00.006-05:00

I found this recipe through a complex and untraceable channel of internet links, copied it to Wordpad, didn't save, and lost it when my computer crashed. And couldn't find it again. This is the recreated recipe, and honestly I can't imagine the original recipe being any better.

This is good chicken. Especially if you have a passionate love for sesame seed oil, like I do.

Ingredients:

Boneless, skinless chicken or turkey breasts (enough for two to four people)
Vegetable oil
1/3 cup cornstarch
1 or two eggs (depending on how much chicken you want to make)
2 tbsp soy sauce
1/2 tbsp sesame seed oil
2 tbsp sushi rice seasoning (2 tbsp rice or balsamic vinegar plus a couple tsp sugar)

Preheat a skillet with enough oil to fry your chicken. Combine the cornstarch and the egg in a bowl. When the oil is hot enough, dip the chicken breasts in the mixture (you can cut them into nuggets or strips first, if you like) and drop in the oil, preferably without burning yourself. Cook for a minute or two, turn, and cook until done.

This goes very well with red bell pepper. Add bell pepper slices to the oil right from the start. If you're feeling adventurous, give them a swirl in the cornstarch mixture first.

When the chicken is cooked, drain the oil and return the skillet to the heat. Add the soy sauce, the sesame seed oil, and the vinegar mixture. Heat. This won't take long. Toss your chicken onto a plate of that wonderful sticky rice you've already prepared, pour the sauce over everything, and enjoy.

Sticky rice

2009-05-31T08:12:00.006-05:00

I feel like a genius today. I just cooked up a giant pot of the most beautiful sticky rice you'll ever see. And not only did I do it without a rice cooker, I did it without instructions! Because the instructions that I found online insisted that they were "100 percent sure that [I'd] burn the rice." Way to be fatalistic, huh? Well, if their recipe leads inevitably to burned rice, then I'd say it's time that they get a new recipe. Mine, for example! Follow these instructions and you can have perfect rice for sushi, for sticky fried rice like you get at Kobe's, or for just about anything else.

Buy short grain rice. Not medium, short. It has to be short. Don't buy special sushi rice. Special sushi rice is short grain rice repacked with a higher price tag.
Measure your rice. Dump into a large bowl.
Add water to large bowl. You don't have to measure yet. Just add lots of water.
Let stand for thirty minutes. This will make the rice more supple and help in several small ways. Notice that after thirty minutes your rice has turned a beautiful pearly white, rather than the whitish grayish transparentish that it was before.
Wash the rice. If you use a colander, you'll probably end up with little grains of rice plugging up every hole. Use a bowl. Fill it up with water. Pour the water out. Repeat. Repeat. Repeat. Repeat. Repeat. Repeat. Repeat until the water stays mostly clear. All of this is to remove starch that will keep your rice from being sticky. This is a very important step. Don't skip it.
Drain the rice in a colander for thirty minutes to an hour. This is not a very important step. I included it here for thoroughness. You can skip it. I always do.
Add a small amount of water to a large pot. Dump in the rice. Then add one cup water for every cup of rice. Don't stir the rice! Remember all that effort to get the starch out? Stirring will bring it all out again. So don't do it.
Bring to a boil on high or medium high heat uncovered.
As soon as it boils, turn the heat down to low and put on a tight fitting lid. If you don't have a tight fitting lid, feel free to get creative. I have lots of success with stacking a skillet and a heavy Pyrex bowl on top. Seriously. Looks dumb, works well.
Go away for ten to fifteen minutes. If you think your heating element is pretty hot, make it ten. If you think it leans on the cool side, make it fifteen.
Remove the pan from the heat source but don't remove the lid! Let sit another twenty to twenty-five minutes. You're steaming the rice now, so don't even peek. You'll let the steam out and ruin everything.
Take off the lid and celebrate your beautiful rice! If you're making sushi out of it, then this is part where you add the vinegar mixture and then let the rice cool (by spreading it on cookie sheets or plates, if you want to speed up the process). Then you cover the rice with a damp cloth until you're ready to make sushi.

That's it! Okay, so it's rather a long process, but it's worth it. Now go make some sushi! Or go make my Vietnamese fried rice. You won't be disappointed.

Vodka Sauce

2009-05-26T09:34:00.006-05:00

Vodka sauce vodka sauce vodka sauce vodka sauce. This is the best pasta sauce EVER! Sort of. I mean, the carbanara sauce is really good too, but this one is HEALTHIER because it uses real (canned) tomatoes and (slightly) less cream. And it's good. Really, really good. I promise.

Ingredients:

2 cloves of garlic
1 large shallot (really, it makes a difference. Shallots are good.)
1 small yellow onion
Olive oil
Butter
1 can of tomatoes
1 can tomato puree
1 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
Cayenne pepper to taste
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup vodka
Flour for thickening

Chop the garlic et. al. and sauté for a few minutes in the olive oil and butter (yes, both. Because this recipe just deserves it). Sometimes I add a dash of white wine to make it an extra-drunk recipe. Add the canned tomatoes, the tomato puree, and the pepper and cook for a few minutes until some of the liquid has evaporated. Add the cream and vodka, and thicken with flour if necessary (it's always necessary).

Serve over pasta (yeah, don't forget to cook the pasta) with vegetables, if you like. It goes very well with sautéed mushrooms.

Oatmeal Pancakes

2009-05-26T09:25:00.005-05:00

These pancakes are amazing. Seriously. They only have one drawback and that's remembering to prepare the batter the night before. But they're so good that you'll probably be thinking about them all the time anyway, so it shouldn't be a problem.

Ingredients:

2 cups quick oats
2 cups buttermilk (fake it by using a tbsp of lemon juice for each cup of normal milk)
2 eggs
1 tbsp honey
2 tbsp oil
1/2 cup flour
1/2 tsp cinnamon (or more)
2 tbsp sugar
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt

Combine the oats and buttermilk in a large mixing bowl and let them soak all night (or at least two hours, but preparing breakfast two hours in advance? Doesn't usually work out). This is where the incredible texture comes from. It also creates a mixture that resembles dough far more closely than it resembles batter, but no worries, the other ingredients will loosen it up.

When you're ready for your pancakes, preheat the skillet and add the rest of the ingredients to the bowl. Add some chocolate chips if you're gourmand like me. They cook up like normal pancakes, except for the incredible scent of oatmeal and honey and cinnamon that permeates the room.

Goes great with raspberry syrup. Or a spoonful of maple syrup and a couple tablespoons of raspberry jam, if you're cheap and don't have the real thing.

Pasta Bolognaise

2009-02-01T11:14:00.006-06:00

Another French recipe, but this time it doesn't call for a cup of heavy cream as a primary ingredient. Go figure. It's actually quite healthy.

Ingredients:

1 onion, chopped
1 or two cloves of garlic, chopped
Olive oil, sunflower oil, butter, or whatever
1 small can of mushrooms, or some sliced fresh mushrooms
1 small can of tomato paste. Paste, not sauce.
Sugar
Cayenne pepper
Oregano
Basil
Salt and pepper
Some kind of meat, like chopped ham
Pasta

Sauté the onion and garlic for a little while, add the mushrooms, and sauté for a little while more. Add the tomato paste and some water until you get a good consistency. Then add the herbs and spices. Cook for a while. Keep tasting to make sure you've got it right. Add the meat (it's precooked, right?) and heat through. Serve over pasta.

Pineapple Curry

2009-01-29T04:15:00.007-06:00

This is another excellent "student food" recipe from Mathieu. It's quick, easy, and excellent.

Ingredients:

1 tbsp butter
1 can pineapple, cubed or tidbits
1 onion, chopped
some bell pepper, if you have some handy
3/4 cup cream
a tiny bit of ketchup or tomato paste
soy sauce
curry powder
garlic powder
ginger
salt and pepper
Some kind of meat, if you want it. Chicken is good, but even hot dogs will work.

Melt the butter in a saucepan and add the chopped onion and bell pepper. After cooking for about five minutes, add the pineapple (save the juice) and cook for another ten minutes or until the onion is tender. Add the cream and the pineapple juice. Stir some flour into a cup with some heated juice and add that to thicken the sauce. Add the herbs and spices. Lots of curry powder, not lots of garlic powder. Add some cayenne pepper for an extra kick. Then add the meat and heat thoroughly. Serve over rice.

This makes probably three servings for normal people, two for hungry people with no other side dishes.

Frog-eye Salad

2008-11-25T10:29:00.004-06:00

Weird name. Yummy salad.

Start with one cup Acini Di Pepe macaroni: Bring 6 cups water to a rapid boil in 3 quart saucepan. Add 2 teaspoons salt. Slowly add 1 cup Acini Di Pepe. Return to rapid boil, stirring to separate. Boil only 2 minutes. Cover and remove from heat. Let stand 6 to 8 minutes. Drain immediately and rinse with cold water to chill.

3/4 c. sugar
2 tbsp. flour
1/2 tsp. salt
2/3 c. pineapple juice (from canned pineapple shown below)
2 eggs, beaten
1 tsp. lemon juice

In small saucepan, mix sugar, flour and salt; stir in pineapple juice and egg. Cook over moderate heat, stirring constantly until thickened (or cook in microwave). Add lemon juice, set aside and cool.

Combine cooked, cooled mixture with cooled Acini Di Pepe. Cover, place in refrigerator until chilled. Add the following:

2 cans (11 oz. each) mandarin oranges, drained
1 can (20 oz.) pineapple tidbits, drained
1 can crushed pineapple, drained
1 carton (8 oz.) dairy whipped topping
1 c. miniature marshmallows

Stir lightly. Chill at least 1 hour before serving.

Apricot Chicken

2008-11-08T15:44:00.002-06:00

This is so easy, and the flavor is delicious.

1 fryer, cut up (or use thighs, boneless breast, whatever)
cooking oil to cover bottom of pan
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
12 oz. jar apricot preserves
2 teaspoons soy sauce
1/4 cup sliced almonds (toasted or not)

Brown chicken pieces in oil; add salt and pepper. Cover and simmer for 30 minutes, turning chicken frequently. Combine soy sauce and preserves; pour over chicken. Continue to simmer for another 5 to 8 minutes. Sprinkle with almonds. Serve with rice. Makes 4 servings.

Reuben Casserole

2008-10-28T10:47:00.006-06:00

It's like a big Reuben sandwich in a baking dish. There are never leftovers when I take this dish to a pot-luck.

1 (32oz.) bag sauerkraut, very well drained
1 pound deli-style corned beef, chopped
1/2 (8 oz.) bottle Thousand Island dressing
1 pound shredded Swiss cheese
12 slices buttered rye bread, cut into 1 inch pieces

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In the bottom of a 13 x 9 x 2 inch casserole, layer the sauerkraut (you may need to squeeze it dry with your hands), corned beef, dressing, and cheese. Top with the buttered rye bread cubes. Bake, uncovered, for 45 minutes. Let cool slightly to set before serving. Serve with extra Thousand Island dressing, if preferred. I'm not sure how many servings this makes, because everyone goes back for more.

Lemon Cream Chicken

2008-10-12T23:05:00.006-05:00

When you read the list of ingredients for this dish, you may think it seems too rich, with the 4 tablespoons of butter, the cup of heavy cream. Hey, indulge! (Just don't indulge too often.) The sauce you'll create is velvety and decadent. It's so good you'll want to put it on everything - veggies, fish, ice cream... well, maybe not ice cream. This is a simple to prepare, yet elegant meal. It's great to serve when you're wanting to impress someone.

1 cup plus 1 Tablespoon flour, divided
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
6 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
4 Tablespoons butter
1 cup chicken broth
1 cup heavy whipping cream, divided
3 Tablespoons lemon juice
8 oz. mushrooms, sliced

In a large resealable plastic bag, combine 1 cup flour, salt and pepper. Add chicken and shake to coat. (if you'd rather not do the flour thing, just go ahead and brown the naked chicken. It's good that way as well.) In a large skillet, cook chicken in butter for 8-9 minutes on each side or until juices run clear. Remove chicken and keep warm.
Add broth to the drippings. Bring to a boil over medium heat; stir to loosen browned bits from pan. Simmer, uncovered, for 10 minutes or until broth is reduced to 1/3 cup (which will probably actually take more like 20 minutes). Stir in 3/4 cup of the cream, then the lemon juice and mushrooms (feel free to omit the mushrooms if you don't like them - it will taste fabulous anyway). Cook over medium-low heat for 5 minutes.
Combine remaining flour and cream until smooth; stir into skillet. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Return chicken to skillet and heat through. Serve over white rice. Don't count on having leftovers. You'll probably be licking the plate clean at the end of the meal. Yield: 6 servings.

Swedish Meatballs

2008-10-03T12:58:00.003-05:00

This is probably not authentic, but it's pretty good anyway.

1 pound ground beef
1 egg
1/2 cup dry bread crumbs
1/2 cup milk
1/4 cup chopped onion
2 teaspoons parsley flakes
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon ground allspice
1/8 teaspoon pepper
1 can condensed cream of mushroom soup

Combine ground beef, egg, onion, bread crumbs, 1/4 cup of the milk, parsley, salt, allspice, and pepper. Shape into about 30 meatballs. Brown meatballs in skillet; add soup and remaining milk, heat through. Serve over buttered noodles sprinkled with parsley. Serves 4 to 6

Hawaiian Ginger Beef

2008-10-03T12:46:00.003-05:00

I got this recipe when I lived in Hawaii. You can use a cheaper cut of meat, you'll just need to simmer it longer.

1 1/2 pounds boneless sirloin, sliced into thin strips
1/4 cup beef stock
2 teaspoons dry sherry
1 1/2 Tablespoons soy sauce
1 teaspoon sugar
1 clove garlic, mashed
2 or 3 slices of fresh ginger root
3 green onions, diagonally sliced into 1/2" pieces
2 Tablespoons oil
1 Tablespoon each of cornstarch and water

Combine soy sauce, sherry, beef stock, and sugar; set aside. Heat oil in large frying pan; saute garlic and ginger for 1 minute. Add meat and onions to the pan and stir-fry over high heat. When meat is almost completely browned, pour in the soy sauce mixture; cover and simmer about 3 minutes. Mix cornstarch and water, gradually stir into the liquid in the pan. Cook until slightly thickened, stirring to coat meat. Remove ginger slices before serving. Serve with steamed rice. Makes 4 to 6 servings.

Pasta Carbanara

2008-09-10T11:07:00.004-05:00

Pasta Carbanara

This is the French starving-student recipe that I lived on when I was in France. We must have had this at least once a week. It's kind of backwards in the sense that I can usually take a complex, healthy recipe and turn it into a quick, less healthy one; with this one, though, feel free to do the reverse. Use real onion instead of fried or dried. Tomato paste or sauce instead of ketchup. Milk instead of cream? No, maybe not. But really. The possibilities are endless.

Ingredients:

As much bacon as you want, cut into small pieces.
About 3/4 cup heavy cream
Ketchup
Soy sauce
Cayenne pepper
Onion in some form
White wine
Flour for thickening
Pepper

Cook down the bacon and get rid of most of the grease. If you're using fresh onion, add it now and cook until tender. Dump in the cream, then a few squirts of ketchup, a dash of cayenne pepper, and a splash of soy sauce, as well as the dried or fried onion if you're using that instead. I usually heat the white wine in the microwave and use it to make a paste with a couple tbsp of flour, then dump that in. Season with pepper. You probably won't need salt.

Serve over the pasta that you didn't forget to make (you wouldn't do that, would you?) and enjoy.

Galettes Bretonnes

2008-07-15T17:23:00.004-05:00

Okay ladies and gentlemen, in honor of my upcoming séjour in France, here is the recipe for true Brittany crêpes, personally translated (and units converted) from the best and most authentic recipe on the French internets.

Ingredients:

2 eggs
1 1/4 cups buckwheat flour
1 1/4 cups whole milk, cold
2 tbps sunflower oil (it doesn't exist, really. Just use olive oil or whatever.)
1/2 sachet of baking powder. No, I don't know what a sachet is. Just add what seems right.
Salt
Pepper

Add the flour, milk, salt and pepper in a medium or large bowl. Dig a little hole in the middle and break your eggs into it. Carefully mix together with a whisk and add the oil a little at a time, then the cold milk.

Let it sit for at least 30 minutes, unrefrigerated. Or you can leave it your fridge for several hours, whatever works best.

Then, the fun part. Heat up a 12-inch nonstick pan and add some butter or additional oil. Then scoop up a ladle-full of batter and play French chef by gracefully pouring it into the pan with one hand while using the other hand to briskly swirl the pan and distribute the batter. It should coat the entire pan with a very thin layer, and if you do it like I do then it will get splotchy and gunky and you'll freak out and think it's all ruined. It isn't. Just wait and pretty soon you'll start to get really excited when you realize it actually resembles a true Bretagne crêpe. That is, if you've ever seen one.

Lay them out on plates or cooling racks until the last of the batter is used up. Then (the other fun part), add whatever ingredients you want to the middle, fold them over or roll them up, reheat them briefly in the skillet, and serve. This recipe works for both sweet and savory, so feel free to get creative. But don't use American cheese, because that's just sacrilege.

Sweet & Sour Beef Stew

2008-06-15T16:55:00.004-05:00

The name is misleading - this dish is not Asian... or even German. The sauce tastes more like a mild barbecue sauce... so I guess it's a dish of the American West! Yeah, lets go with that! It's an old Betty Crocker Recipe and it's definitely worth a try.

1 1/2 pounds beef stew meat, cubed
2 Tablespoons cooking oil
1 cup carrot, thinly sliced or chopped
1 cup onion, thinly sliced
1 (8 oz.) can tomato sauce
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup vinegar
1 Tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1/2 cup water
1 teaspoon salt
4 teaspoons corn starch
1/4 cup cold water
hot cooked noodles
Poppy seed (optional)

Brown meat in hot oil. Add next 8 ingredients. Cover and cook over low heat, stirring occasionally, for about two hours, or until meat is tender. (you may need to add a bit of water if it seems to be cooking down too much.) Combine cornstarch with cold water; add to beef mixture. Cook and stir until thickened and bubbly. Serve over noodles garnished with poppy seed. (more often than not, I am out of poppy seed; the dish is fine without them.) This recipe is easy to adapt to the Crock Pot. You'll want to use a bit less carrot and onion. It serves approximately four people.

Butter Pecan Fudge

2008-05-12T18:56:00.003-05:00

I have been wanting to share this recipe for quite some time but had misplaced it. I found it today, tucked inside a book! This is delicious. Don't wait until Christmas to make it!

1/2 cup butter (no substitutes)
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups powdered sugar
1 cup pecan halves, toasted and coarsely chopped

In a large, heavy saucepan, combine the butter, sugars, cream, and salt. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring occasionally. Boil for five minutes, stirring constantly. Remove from heat; stir in vanilla. Stir in powdered sugar until smooth, then fold in pecans. Spread in buttered 8" square pan. Cool to room temperature. Cut into 1" squares. Store in an airtight container in refrigerator.

Potato and Chicken Soup

2008-01-21T15:37:00.000-06:00

My friend Barb gave me this little recipe many years ago. It has been a family favorite ever since.

4 slices bacon, diced
1/2 cup chopped fresh onion
1 1/2 cup cubed potatoes
1 cup water
2 cans cream of chicken soup, undiluted
1 cup milk
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 pat butter

Place bacon in saucepan and cook until crisp. Remove bacon, retain 2 tablespoons bacon fat and pour off remainder. Saute onions in bacon fat until tender. Add potatoes and water. Cook until potatoes are tender. Add soup, milk, bacon, salt, and butter. Heat to blend flavors.

Mexi-corn Dip

2008-01-21T15:32:00.001-06:00

This rich, festive dip is sure to become a hit! This recipe comes from Susan. Thanks, sis.

1 can Mexi-corn, drained
1 cup mayonaisse
1 cup sour cream
10 ounces shredded cheddar cheese
1 to 2 cans chopped green chilies (you may use jalapenos)
1 small jar pimentoes, drained and chopped
1/2 to 1 teaspoon garlic powder
salt to taste

Mix and chill. Goes well with tortilla chips.

Ruth's Romaine Salad

2008-01-21T15:25:00.001-06:00

I got this recipe from Ruth Clark after she brought it to a luncheon at the library. Everyone liked this salad so well that we always asked her to bring it to library luncheons and pot-lucks. It has wonderful flavor combinations!

1 package romaine lettuce
1 cup shredded swiss cheese
1 cup cashew pieces
1/4 cup dried cranberries
1 pear, cored and cubed
1 apple, cored and cubed

Mix above ingredients together, then add the following dressing just before serving:

2/3 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup sugar
1/3 cup lemon juice
2 teaspoons dried onion flakes
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon poppy seed (optional)

Mix or shake well; chill until serving time.

Walnut Chicken

2008-01-21T15:13:00.000-06:00

Here's one I cut out of a newspaper years ago. (from the Honolulu Star-Bulletin) It calls for 1/4 cup beer. Just drink the rest, or dump it out. Don't omit the beer, because it will not be the same without it.

1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup beer
1/2 teaspoon ginger
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into 1-inch pieces
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/3 cup sliced green onions
1 clove garlic, minced
1 cup sliced fresh mushrooms
1 cup broken English walnuts

Combine soy sauce, beer, and ginger. Add chicken and marinate in refrigerator for at least 30 minutes. Heat the oil in a wok or skillet, add chicken and the soy mixture. Stir-fry until chicken is cooked and soy mixture begins to coat chicken (approximately 5 minutes). Add green onions, garlic, mushrooms, and walnuts. cook 3 minutes, tossing mixture with slotted spoon. Serve with rice. Makes about 4 servings.

Strawberry Pretzel Salad

2008-01-06T15:11:00.000-06:00

If you haven't tried this, you must! I consider it to be more of a dessert, but it is a fun salad as well.

2 1/4 cups crushed pretzels
1/2 cup sugar, divided
3/4 cup melted butter or margarine
2 cups frozen dessert topping (Cool Whip)
1 (8 oz.) package cream cheese
1 (6 oz.) package strawberry gelatin mix
2 cups boiling water
1 (10 oz.) packages frozen strawberries, partially thawed

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix pretzels with 1/4 cup sugar and melted butter. Press into 13 x 9 inch pan. Bake 10 minutes. Cool; set aside. Beat together 1/4 cup sugar, frozen topping, and cream cheese. Sread over pretzel crust. Cool until firm in refrigerator. Dissolve gelatin in boiling water, add strawberries with juice. Pour over cream cheese mixture. Refrigerate until firm. Cut into squares.

Georgia Cracker Salad

2008-01-06T15:05:00.001-06:00

This is another recipe from Paula Deen. It sounded so strange to me that I had to try it. It is best when made with garden-fresh tomatoes, so I only make it in the summertime! It MUST be served immediately after stirring in the crackers, or it becomes soggy.

1 sleeve saltine crackers
1 large tomato, finely chopped
3 green onions, finely chopped
1 1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 hard-boiled egg, finely chopped

Crush crackers. Mix with other ingredients and serve immediately. Serves 6

Ultimate Steakhouse Burger

2008-01-06T14:41:00.001-06:00

This really is the ultimate burger! This recipe comes from "Cook's Country" magazine in answer to a reader's request for a burger that is charred and crusty on the outside, moist and juicy on the inside. It will seem like a strange combination of ingredients, but that's what makes these burgers so special. We don't have them often because they are definitely not low-calorie.

grease from 8 strips of crisply fried bacon
1 - 2 slices white sandwich bread, crusts removed and discarded, cubed
1/4 cup milk
1 1/2 pounds ground beef (85-90% lean)
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
2 large garlic cloves, very finely minced

Spoon 3 tablespoons of the bacon fat into a small heatproof bowl and refrigerate while preparing the other ingredients. You may use the cooked bacon in another recipe or serve it atop the burgers. (I usually use the bacon in a salad or something, because the burgers are so good they don't need the bacon.) Place the bread cubes in a small bowl, add the milk, and let mixture sit for about 5 minutes. Using fork, mash bread and milk until it forms a smooth paste. Break up the beef into small pieces in a medium bowl. Season with salt and pepper, then add garlic, bread paste, and reserved bacon fat. Using fork or hands, lightly knead together so that ingredients are well incorporated. Do not overwork the meat or the burgers will be tough. Divide meat into 4 equal portions. Using hands, toss each portion of meat back and forth to form a loose ball, then gently flatten to a 3/4-inch patty. Grill over very hot coals, without pressing down on them, until well seared on both sides and cooked to your preference.

Corn Supreme

2008-01-06T14:34:00.001-06:00

This is a great dish to take to a potluck or holiday dinner because it's very rich and makes a lot. I got this recipe from Kathryn Compton after she brought it to a Friends of the Library dinner.

1 can whole kernel corn
2 eggs, beaten
1 pint sour cream
1 can creamed corn, undrained
2 sticks butter or margarine
2 boxes Jiffy cornbread mix

Grease a 10 x 15 inch baking dish. Mix all ingredients, pour into baking dish, and bake 350 degrees for 45 minutes to 1 hour.

Spiced Pumkin Bread w/ orange cream cheese

2007-10-25T10:23:00.001-05:00

Posted by Pat

1/3 C. butter, softened 1 1/4 C. sugar
1 C. solid pack pumpkin 1 egg
1 3/4 C. flour 1 tsp. pumpkin pie spice
1/2 tsp. baking soda 1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. cinnamon 1/4 tsp. baking powder
1/2 C. dried currants 1/2 C. chopped pecans

Beat butter and sugar until light, add pumpkin and egg,mixing well. In medium bowl combine flour, pumpkin, pie spice, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and baking powder; gradually add to butter mixture, mixing until well blended. Stir in currans and pecans.

Pour into greassed loaf pan and bake at 350 for 1 to 1 hour and 15 min. or until wooden pick come out clean. Cool in pan on wire rack for 15 min. then remove from pan and cool completely.

Serve with orange cream cheese.

Orange Cream Cheese

In medium bowl combine 1 8oz. pkg. softened cream cheese, 3 T. sugar, 2 tsp. vanilla and 1 tsp. dried orange peel; stir until smooth. Stir in 1 to 1 tsp milk to make spreading consistency.
I like to let the orange cream cheese set a while so the dried orange peel isn't so hard.

Spicy Orange Beef Kabobs

2007-10-25T10:16:00.001-05:00

Posted by Pat

Now it's time for some beef!

1 lb. boneless sirloin, 1" thick 1 onion cut into 8 wedges
1 red, yellow or green bell pepper cut into 1" pieces.
1/2 C. A.1 steak sauce 1/4 C. frozen orange juice concentrate
1 tsp. crushed red pepper 1 T. packed brown sugar
2 C. hot cooked rice

Cut beef into 1" pieces. Alternately thread beef, onion and bell pepper on each of four 12" skewers. Heat steak sauce, orange juice concentrate, brown sugar and crushed red pepper, stirring to blend. Grill kabobs over medium heat for 9 to 11 minutes, brushing with sauce and turning occasionally. Serve over rice. You can save back some of the sauce to use for dipping or just to pour over the meat and veggies.

Chicken Marsala

2007-10-25T10:09:00.001-05:00

Posted by Pat

Another yummy chicken recipe, Darci you will love this one!

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts 1/2 lb. mushrooms
seasoned flour 1/2 C. butter
3 T. lemon juice(fresh) 2 chicken bouillon cubes
1/2 C. boiling water 2 oz. marsala wine

Cut breasts in half, flatten with mallet and dredge in flour. Melt butter in skillet and brown chicken. Add mushroooms. Stir bouillon in boiling water, add wine and lemon juice. Pour over chicken and simmer uncovered for 15 to 25 minutes.

Note: I always add a litte olive oil to the skillet with the butter to keep it burning.

Chicken with wine-mushroom sauce

2007-10-25T09:49:00.002-05:00

Posted by Pat

It's been a long time since I have gone through my "old fashion" recipe box and when I did I pulled out a couple of wonderful chicken recipes I had forgotten about, hope you give them a try!

1 T. butter 2 T. olive oil, divide use
8 oz. slice mushrooms 1 T. minced fresh basil or parsley
4 bone in chicken breasts w/skin salt and pepper to taste
1/2 C. dry white wine 1/4 C. chicken broth
1/4 C. heavy whiping cream

Melt butter in large deep non-stick skillet. Add 2 tsp. of the olive oil. When oil and butter are hot add mushrooms. Saute on med.high heat until mushrooms are lightly browned and softened and all liquid has evaporated. Remove mushrooms and set aside. Season mushrooms with salt, pepper and the parlsey or basil.

Return skillet to med-high heat. Add remaining olive oil. Season chicken on both sides with salt and pepper. Add chicken in a single layer skin side down and cook until well browned, about 5 min. on each side. Lower heat to medium, cover and cood until cooked trhug, about 8 to 14 min.

Transfer chicken to large plate and cover. Pour off fat from skillet, add wine and boil on high until reduced by half, about 2-3 minutes. Add broth and boil until reduced by half, about 1 minute.

Add cream and boil 1 minute, stir in mushrooms. Taste and add salt and pepper if needed. Spoon sauce over chicken and enjoy!

Note: We always prepare more sauce so I increase the amounts, we like it over rice or noodles so extra sauce is great.

Cream of Tomato Soup

2007-09-19T13:33:00.003-05:00

This is a recipe I created in my attempt to duplicate the soup that is served at the Nouvelle Cafe (aka "that place with the tomato soup") in Wichita. Everyone who has tried it says it tastes like the real thing! It is rich and velvety and very satisfying. Keep in mind that I just guessed at everything, so most of the ingredients listed are approximate.

Start with a small amount of finely minced fresh onion (about 1/8 to 1/4 cup) which you saute in a tablespoonful of butter or olive oil. When the onion is tender it will look clear. Now you can add a dash of garlic powder, a half-teaspoon of sugar, a small can of tomato paste (paste, not sauce), and about 2 cups of water. Stir the water slowly into the paste, using a wire whisk, until it is smooth. Bring this to a simmer and add at least a teaspoon of dried basil which you crush in your palm before throwing into the soup. Once you have made the soup, you will probably make adjustments to your own taste. You may also want to add a small amount of oregano as well, but I like the basil, and lots of it! When the mixture has been simmering for several minutes, add a cup of whipping cream (hey, I said this was rich!) and whisk carefully until blended. Heat gently, stirring occasionally, and add salt and pepper to taste (don't allow it to boil or the cream may curdle). It will taste quite bland until you put enough salt into it, but I can't really say how much you should use. Now... pour into a pretty bowl and indulge!

Red Wine Mushrooms

2007-09-12T20:30:00.002-05:00

This is probably the standard way to cook mushrooms - at least, it always has been at my house - but here's the recipe anyway:

Sauté sliced mushrooms in bit of olive oil until the look done, then add a splash of red wine. Salt to taste, and there you go. Apparently this recipe is about as French as it sounds, because it seemed to amuse/impress the heck out of my French friend when I told him I prepared them this way.

Quick Lime Sauce

2007-09-12T20:26:00.001-05:00

I made this one up on-the-fly yesterday when Megan and I needed a sauce for our chicken quesadillas. I combined mayonnaise (roughly 1 1/2 tablespoons), sugar (roughly 1 teaspoon), vinegar (a splash), garlic powder, citrus pepper, and the juice from half a lime and it was awesome. It went very well with the chicken, although it didn't make as much as we needed. And if you've got yogurt, adding that in equal parts with the mayo and doubling the other ingredients would probably be good, and considerably more healthy.

Artisan Pizza

2007-09-12T20:18:00.004-05:00

This is the ultimate pizza dough. It sounds like a lot of work but it's really just a few minutes, plus lots of down time in the fridge. It's also fairly fail-proof, provided that your yeast isn't dead - overcooked, undercooked, dough too wet, dough too dry - it's very forgiving.

Ingredients:

3/4 cups plus 1 tablespoon unbleached all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon dry active yeast
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup warm water
4 teaspoons olive oil

In a small bowl, proof the yeast by combining it with the sugar and slowly stirring in the warm water. Put in a warm place (an oven that's been briefly preheated then turned off, for example) for 10 minutes. If your yeast mixture has become cloudy and ferment-y, you're good to go.

During those ten minutes, mix together your flour and salt in a smallish mixing bowl. Add the proofed yeast and stir until just combined. This is a very wet, sticky dough, so don't freak out.

Pour the olive oil into something like a 2-cup measure, and swirl to coat the sides. Drop/scrape/scoot your dough in there and turn it so that it gets completely covered with olive oil.

Then cover the whole thing with plastic wrap and let it sit out for 30 minutes. Then stick it in the fridge.

You'll want to do all that in the morning, because it needs to sit there in the fridge for at least 6 hours. If you don't have six hours, you can do it one hour by setting it somewhere warm. If you have more than six hours, don't worry about it. You can even leave the thing in there overnight, no worries.

An hour before you want to bake, preheat your oven to 475, and sit a baking stone in there if you're fancy. Take your bowl of dough out of the fridge, pour some of the olive oil onto your hands so you're nicely greased up, then take the dough out, hold it in one hand, and pour the rest of the olive oil out onto your pizza pan or cookie sheet. Spread it around, then plop your dough on it. Pat it into a ball, press it down gently, then ignore it for 15 minutes. Go work on your pizza toppings, this is a great recipe for multi-tasking.

After it's set for 15 minutes, shape it into whatever pizza shape you want, then cover it with plastic wrap and leave it alone again, this time for 30-60 minutes.

Now it's time to bake it. You can do something fancy with your baking stone if you want, like setting the pizza pan on it for five minutes, then adding your toppings, then sliding the pizza directly onto the stone for a couple minutes. But if you don't have a pizza stone, then just bake the dough 5 minutes on its pan/sheet, add your toppings (your extremely delicious, high-quality toppings), and then slide directly onto the rack to finish baking.

Perfection.

You can put anything on this pizza, but I've found I prefer it without sauce, or with something extremely minimal. My favorite thing to do is to brush the hot crust with a halved clove of garlic, then add caramelized onions and red bell peppers, grilled chicken, and sliced Munster cheese.

My other favorite thing is to use a base of garlic-herb cream cheese, topped with caramelized onions (it's my thing, okay?),wilted spinach, and roasted grape tomatoes.

Makes great dessert pizza, too.

Apple-Berry Salsa

2007-07-17T20:47:00.001-05:00

This recipe comes from a Pampered Chef cookbook. It is a light, refreshing treat and is great for parties, brunch, showers... any time! I like it so well that sometimes I make a batch and keep it in the refrigerator for days so I can nibble whenever I want to!

2 medium Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored, and finely diced
1 pint strawberries, hulled and diced
2 kiwi, peeled and finely diced (I'm allergic to kiwi, so I leave it out)
1 small orange
2 Tablespoons packed brown sugar
2 Tablespoons apricot jam or apple jelly

Place diced apples, strawberries, and kiwi in a bowl. Zest the orange, reserving one teaspoon zest. Juice the orange, reserving two tablespoons of juice. In a small bowl, combine orange zest, orange juice, brown sugar, and jelly. Stir well; pour over fruit and mix gently. Refrigerate until ready to serve. Makes 3 cups. Serve this with cinnamon tortilla chips. To make the chips, preheat oven to 400 degrees. Cut eight 7-inch flour tortillas into wedges. arrange on baking stone or cookie sheet. Lightly spray tortillas with water or cooking spray. Sprinkle with a cinnamon-sugar mixture. Bake 8-10 minutes until light golden brown and crisp. You can dress up the chips for a party by drizzling them with a tiny bit of melted semi-sweet chocolate. Allow the chocolate to harden before storing the chips in an airtight container.

Summer Sunshine Punch

2007-07-17T20:18:00.000-05:00

I sort of made this up when I was looking for a refreshing punch to serve at a baby shower. I'm not really sure how many servings it makes, because everyone comes back for more!

1 gallon of water
2 to 3 cups of sugar
1 (12 oz.) frozen lemonade concentrate
1 (12 oz.) frozen orange juice concentrate
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 teaspoons almond extract
1 (46 oz.) can pineapple juice, chilled
2 liters ginger ale, chilled

Combine water and sugar in a large saucepan; bring to a boil, stirring occasionally until sugar is dissolved. Combine with next five ingredients; chill. Add chilled ginger ale just before serving. Garnish with orange and lemon slices. Serve over ice.

Grilled Fish Amandine

2007-07-17T20:01:00.000-05:00

This is a mild and delicious way to serve fish. If you don't like fish... this may change your mind.

All you need are fish fillets that are mildly flavored, such as tilapia, orange roughy, red snapper, etc. Place the fillets on a foil-covered grill and cook until the fish becomes opaque and flakes with a fork. It only takes about 20 minutes total, unless the fillets are very thick. Poke a few holes in the foil to allow some smoke to reach the fillets. While the fish is grilling, saute about a half-cup of sliced almonds in a tablespoon or two of butter until golden, stirring frequently. (If you wish, you may brown the almonds without butter) When your fillets are done, place them on a platter and drizzle them with lemon juice, sprinkle with the sauteed almonds and a bit of salt. You will love it! It's about the only way I serve fish now. Enjoy!

Joe & Michelle's Marinade

2007-05-27T16:54:00.000-05:00

This makes absolutely killer steaks. Combine 1/4 cup olive oil, 1/4 cup soy sauce, 1 teaspoon lemon pepper, and 1 teaspoon garlic powder and toss in the steaks. Marinate them as long as possible - thirty minutes will do, but overnight is better. That's all. After that the only trick is to make sure that you have a good person tending the grill. Also it doesn't hurt to add a splash of cooking sherry.

Quick White Cake

2007-05-27T16:40:00.000-05:00

This is a good, simple Mennonite recipe that makes a very delicious little cake. Quickly. It's rather dense and coarse, which aren't qualities you usually look for in a cake, but everybody loves it.

Combine:

1 1/2 cups flour
1 cup sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt

and the add:

1/3 cup shortening
2/3 cups milk
1 teaspoon vanilla

Beat for two minutes and add one egg, then beat for two more minutes. Bake at 350 for about half an hour, and then frost or ice with your favorite frosting or icing.

Chewy Butterscotch Brownies

2007-05-02T22:05:00.000-05:00

The second time that I made these brownies, I accidentally put in all of the butterscotch chips at once, instead of saving 2/3 cup to sprinkle on top. The result was a denser brownie with almost a candy-bar consistency. We liked them so much that I have been making them that way ever since. (But you will need to shorten the baking time by 5 to 10 minutes if you do it my way.)

2 1/2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
1 3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 Tablespoon vanilla
2 eggs
1 2/3 cup (11 oz. pkg) butterscotch baking chips, divided
1 cup chopped nuts, if desired

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine flour, baking powder, and salt in medium bowl. Beat butter, brown sugar, and vanilla in large mixer bowl until creamy. Beat in eggs. Gradually beat in flour mixture. Stir in 1 cup of the butterscotch chips. Mix in nuts, if desired. Spread into ungreased 13 x 9 inch baking pan. Sprinkle with remaining butterscotch chips. Bake for 30 to 40 minutes, or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pan on wire rack. Makes about 4 dozen brownies.

Lemon Meltaways

2007-05-02T21:50:00.000-05:00

These pretty cookies are bursting with fresh lemon flavor. This recipe comes from Land O Lakes.

Cookies:
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup cornstarch
1/3 cup powdered sugar
3/4 cup butter, softened (use real butter, not margarine)
1 teaspoon grated lemon peel
1 Tablespoon lemon juice

Frosting:
3/4 cup powdered sugar
1/4 cup butter, softened
1 teaspoon grated lemon peel
1 teaspoon lemon juice

In large mixer bowl combine all cookie ingredients. Beat at low speed, scraping bowl often, until well mixed (2 to 3 minutes). Divide the dough in half. Shape each half into 8" by 1" roll. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate until firm, about 1 to 2 hours. Heat oven to 350. With sharp knife, cut each roll of dough into 1/4 inch slices. Place 2 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheets. Bake for 8 to 12 minutes until set. (These cookies will not brown.) Cool completely. For frosting, combine all ingredients in a small mixer bowl. Beat at medium speed, scraping bowl often, until fluffy (1 to 2 minutes). Frost cooled cookies. Makes about 4 dozen cookies.

Pumpkin Cupcakes

2007-05-02T21:45:00.000-05:00

These are incredibly moist and delicious. Try sprinkling the cupcakes with nutmeg after frosting them.

1 box spice cake mix
1 can (15 oz.) pumpkin
3 large eggs
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1/3 cup water

Preheat oven to 350. Blend dry cake mix with pumpkin, eggs, oil, and water. Beat for two minutes with electric mixer. Fill paper baking cups 3/4 full. Bake at 350 for 20 minutes. Frost with cream cheese icing.

Stuffed Pepper Soup

2007-05-02T21:30:00.000-05:00

John found this fabulous recipe on the Internet several years ago. It tastes just like the Stuffed Pepper Soup we have all enjoyed at the Mason Jar restaurant in Manitou Springs, Colorado.

1 pound ground beef
1 green bell pepper, seeded and chopped
1 cup finely diced onion
1 can (29 oz.) diced tomatoes
1 can (15 oz.) tomato sauce
1 can (14 oz.) chicken broth
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
1/4 teaspoon dried sage
salt and pepper to taste
2 cups cooked white rice
shredded cheddar cheese (optional)

In a large pot, brown meat. Drain fat and add pepper and onion. Cook until onion is translucent, not letting it brown. Add tomatoes, tomato sauce, chicken broth, thyme, sage, and season with salt and pepper. Cover and simmer for 30 to 45 minutes, until peppers are tender. Add cooked rice to soup, heat through and serve, sprinkled with shredded cheese, if desired. Makes six servings.

Chocolate Crinkles

2007-05-02T21:20:00.002-05:00

An old favorite, and oh-so-good! I think this is my favorite cookie... well, definitely in the top three!

1/2 cup vegetable oil
4 squares unsweetened chocolate, melted
2 cups sugar
4 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup powdered sugar

In a large mixing bowl combine oil, melted chocolate, and sugar. Blend in one egg at a time until well mixed. Add vanilla. In a separate bowl, mix flour, baking powder, and salt together, then stir into chocolate mixture a little at a time. Chill dough for several hours or overnight. When ready to bake cookies, preheat oven to 350 degrees. Shape dough by heaping teaspoonful into balls; roll in powdered sugar. Place 2" apart on greased cookie sheets. Bake 10 to 12 minutes. Makes 6 dozen.

Mom's Sloppy Joes

2007-04-26T19:31:00.000-05:00

Mom has been making these for as long as any of us can remember! It's one of the first recipes I got from her when I was in my teens. I don't know of anyone who doesn't love these sloppy joes.

Brown 1 1/2 to 2 pounds lean ground beef with some chopped onion. Add 4 to 5 Tablespoons of brown sugar and one bottle of chili sauce. Simmer over low heat until it has thickened. Serve on buns. This is also great in the crock-pot, especially if you are making a larger quantity. Just brown and drain the ground beef and stir in the onion, brown sugar and chili sauce. Cook on low for several hours.

Asparagus-Cheese Casserole

2007-04-26T19:18:00.002-05:00

I've taken this to many luncheons and pot-lucks. I'm always asked for the recipe. It's simple and delicious.

1 lb. cooked, cut asparagus
3 slices toast, cubed
2/3 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1 Tablespoon melted butter
1 egg, beaten
1 cup milk
dash pepper
3/4 teaspoon salt

Place half the cooked asparagus in bottom of a greased 1 1/2 quart baking dish. Add half of toast cubes, then half of cheese. Top with remaining asparagus, toast, and cheese. Combine egg, milk, and seasonings; pour over all. Drizzle with melted butter. Bake in preheated 350 degree oven for 45 to 50 minutes. Makes 6 - 8 servings.

Add-ins: mushrooms, ham, tuna, or ripe olives.

Working Woman's Easy Macaroni and Cheese

2007-04-26T19:07:00.001-05:00

Mix this together, pop it in the oven, and while it is baking you'll have an hour to prepare the rest of the meal. Or, go put your feet up.

6 Tablespoons butter
2 1/2 cups uncooked elbow macaroni
1/2 lb. shredded cheddar cheese
salt and pepper to taste
4 cups milk

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Place butter in a 13 x 9 inch baking dish; place in oven until butter melts. Pour uncooked macaroni into melted butter and stir with wooden spoon until macaroni is coated. Pat macaroni into an even layer in the pan. Cover top of macaroni evenly with shredded cheese. Pour milk slowly over top of macaroni and cheese layers. Bake uncovered in preheated oven for one hour. Do not stir. Makes 9 - 12 servings.

Longhorn's Beer-Cheese Soup

2007-04-26T18:57:00.000-05:00

Use the beer. It's just not the same without the beer. (and the alcohol evaporates anyway)

1 quart water
8 oz. beer
1 rib celery, finely diced
1 carrot, finely diced
1/3 cup finely chopped onion
3 Tablespoons granulated chicken stock base
1/3 lb. Mexican Velveeta, cubed
1/3 lb. regular Velveeta, cubed
4 oz. grated cheddar cheese
1/2 cup butter
8 Tablespoons flour

Bring water and beer to a boil and add vegetables and chicken stock base. Return to a boil, reduce heat and simmer about 20 minutes or until vegetables are tender. Add cheeses gradually, stirring until cheese melts. In a separate pan, melt butter and make a roux mixture with the butter and flour (as if for cream sauce) and add to soup. Stir and simmer until soup thickens. Serve with your favorite crackers. Makes 4 servings.

Beef and Bean Roll-ups

2007-04-22T23:52:00.000-05:00

This hearty and flavorful recipe was created by a male contestant in the 1969 Pillsbury Bake-off. It's a simple dish of baked beans and beef with a brown-bread style biscuit dough.

Biscuit dough:
2 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup milk
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup molasses

Meat mixture:
1 to 2 pounds ground beef
2 (1 lb. each) cans pork and beans (undrained)
2 tablespoons instant minced onion
1/2 cup molasses
1/4 cup ketchup

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Prepare meat mixture by browning ground beef, drain well and add beans, onion, molasses, and ketchup. Mix well and bring to a boil. Remove from heat and cover to keep warm.

In a large mixing bowl, combine flour with baking powder and salt. Cut in butter until crumbly. Add milk and molasses; stir just until dough clings together. On a lightly floured surface, knead dough 5 or 6 times. Roll out to a 12 x 9 inch rectangle. Spread 3/4 cup warm meat mixture over dough. Starting with longer side, roll up. Cut into 12 1-inch slices. Pour remaining meat mixture into a 12 x 8 or 13 x 9 baking dish. Place biscuit slices on hot meat mixture. Bake at 400 degrees for 20 to 25 minutes.

Note: to speed preparation you can roll out the dough as if you were making biscuits, cut with a biscuit cutter and place them atop the meat mixture. It's just as tasty either way. I have found that certain brand of beans have less "juice" than others, so it may be necessary to add a little water to the meat-bean mixture. You don't want the beans and beef to be dry.

Carrot Crunch

2007-04-22T23:44:00.001-05:00

This is an interesting relish to serve as an accompaniment to almost any meal. Make it 3 days in advance of serving, as it needs time for the flavors to blend.

4 large carrots
1 cup sugar
1 large lemon
1/2 cup chopped walnuts

Peel carrots and finely grate them (or use a food processor). Place in a large bowl. Finely grate lemon peel and add to carrots. Squeeze the lemon juice over the carrots. Add sugar, stirring until dissolved. Store, covered, in refrigerator for three days to allow flavors to blend. Just before serving, stir in the walnuts. Makes 1 pint.

Creamed Tuna Au Gratin with Fried Noodles

2007-04-22T23:32:00.000-05:00

This recipe is from the Western Pacific Railroad. It was served in the dining car back in the hey-day of rail travel. It's a tasty alternative to the usual tuna casserole.

1/2 cup Chinese fried noodles
1 (6 1/2 oz.) can tuna, drained
1 cup white sauce
1/8 teaspoon salt
dash pepper
1/4 cup bread crumbs
2 Tablespoons Parmesan cheese
1/2 Tablespoon melted butter
dash paprika

Butter two individual au gratin dishes, and place fried noodles within. In a saucepan over medium heat, combine tuna, white sauce, salt, and pepper. Heat through. Pour over noodles; sprinkle bread crumbs and Parmesan cheese over top. Dot with butter; sprinkle with paprika. Bake at 375 degrees 20 to 25 minutes or until bubbly and golden brown. Note: I usually double the recipe and place it in one casserole dish. It will take a bit longer to bake.

Christmas Cauliflower

2007-04-20T16:43:00.001-05:00

Because this is so rich, I only make it for holiday gatherings. This recipe is from "Taste of Home".

1 large head cauliflower, broken into florets
1/4 cup diced green pepper
1 jar (7.3 oz.) sliced mushrooms, drained
1/4 cup butter
1/3 cup flour
2 cups milk
1 cup (4 oz.) shredded Swiss cheese
2 Tablespoons diced pimentos
1 teaspoon salt

Cook cauliflower in a small amount of water until crisp-tender; drain well. In a medium saucepan, saute green pepper and mushrooms in butter for a couple of minutes. Add flour and stir to make a smooth paste. Gradually stir in milk. Bring to a boil and boil for two minutes, stirring constantly. Remove from heat; stir in cheese until melted. Add pimentos and salt. Place half the cauliflower in a greased two-quart baking dish, top with half the sauce. Repeat layers. Bake, uncovered, at 325 degrees for 25 minutes or until bubbly. Sprinkle with paprika, if desired. Makes 8 to 10 servings.

Creamy Banana Pudding

2007-04-17T16:49:00.000-05:00

This is the ultimate banana pudding!

1 can sweetened condensed milk
1 1/2 cups cold water
1 pkg. (4 servings) instant vanilla pudding mix
2 cups whipping cream, whipped
36 vanilla wafers
3 medium bananas, sliced and dipped in lemon juice

In large bowl, combine condensed milk and water. Add pudding mix; beat well. Chill 5 minutes. Fold in whipped cream. Spoon 1 cup mixture into 2 1/2 quart glass serving bowl. Top with 1/3 each of the wafers, bananas, and pudding. Repeat, layering twice and ending with pudding. Cover and chill. Garnish as desired. Makes 8 to 10 servings.

Gilbertini

2007-04-17T16:25:00.000-05:00

Do you remember this dish from the old Applegate's Landing Restaurants? They used to serve it in individual ramekins straight from the oven, the cheese still bubbling hot. You'd have to wait half your lunch hour before it cooled enough for you to eat! It was well worth the wait.

2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup flour
2 cups milk
3/4 teaspoon salt
dash pepper
6 oz. shredded mozzarella cheese
1/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese
Parmesan cheese
1 lb. bulk pork sausage, crumbled, browned, and drained
8 to 10 oz. pasta shapes, cooked and drained

Saute garlic in butter for one minute, add flour to make a smooth paste. Pour in milk, cook and stir until thickened; stir in salt and pepper. Combine white sauce, sausage, and pasta. Pour into greased casserole and top with cheeses; sprinkle with Parmesan. Bake at 375 degrees for 20 minutes or until bubbly. Serves 6. Note: I usually add a bit of mozzarella and Parmesan to the white sauce.

Glazed Cinnamon-Raisin Biscuits

2007-04-15T22:37:00.000-05:00

Remember Hardee's wonderful Cinnamon-Raisin Biscuits? Well, here they are again!

Biscuits:
2 1/2 cups biscuit mix
1/2 cup raisins
2/3 cup milk
2 Tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon

Glaze:
2/3 cup powdered sugar
1 Tablespoon water or milk
1/4 teaspoon vanilla

Mix together biscuit mix, raisins, milk, sugar, and cinnamon to form a soft dough. Turn dough out onto cutting board that has been dusted with flour or biscuit mix, gently roll to coat. Shape into a ball; knead 10 times. Roll 1/2 inch thick; cut with 2 1/2 inch cutter that has been dipped in biscuit mix. Bake on greased cookie sheet or in two round cake pans in a 450 degree oven for 8 to 10 minutes until golden brown. For glaze, beat together powdered sugar, water or milk, and vanilla. Spread over warm biscuits. Serve immediately. Makes 15 to 20 biscuits.

Mexican Cheese Soup

2007-04-15T22:22:00.002-05:00

This is an adaptation of a recipe I cut from a magazine many years ago. It is a very hearty meal-in-a-bowl. Enjoy!

1 pound ground beef
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups water
1 cup whole kernel corn
1 cup chopped potato
1 cup sliced celery
1/2 cup carrot slices
1/2 cup chopped onion
2 teaspoons beef bouillon crystals
1/2 to 1 teaspoon Tabasco sauce
1 jar any kind Mexican cheese dip

Brown ground beef in large saucepan, drain. Add remaining ingredients, except for the cheese dip and potatoes, and simmer until vegetables are tender, stirring now and then. Add the potatoes (you could add them at the beginning, but they will disintegrate by the time the soup is done. Which isn't actually a terrible thing.) Stir in cheese dip and heat gently. Makes 4 to 6 servings.

Enchilada Strata

2007-04-15T22:07:00.000-05:00

I've been making this stacked enchilada dish for over 20 years. I usually serve it with refried beans and a salad or fruit for a complete meal.

1 pound lean ground beef
1 medium onion, chopped
1 garlic clove, crushed
1 can (10 oz.) enchilada sauce, reserve 1/4 cup
1 can (4 oz.) diced green chilies
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
10 corn tortillas
1 cup (4 oz.) shredded cheddar cheese
Sour cream, if desired

In large skillet, cook ground beef, onion, and garlic until beef is lightly browned. Drain. Add enchilada sauce (reserve 1/4 cup). Stir in green chilies, salt, and oregano. Cook, uncovered, over medium heat to blend flavors, stirring occasionally. Warm tortillas in microwave between damp paper towels, or according to package directions. Place a heated tortilla in a greased deep casserole dish. Spread tortilla with about 1/4 cup meat mixture; sprinkle with about 1 Tablespoon cheese. Place another tortilla over cheese; top with meat and cheese layers. Continue stacking tortillas, meat, and cheese. Drizzle reserved enchilada sauce over stack. Cover and bake in a 350 degree oven for 15 to 20 minutes, or until heated through. To serve, cut in wedges and top with a dollop of sour cream. Makes six servings.

Creamy White Chili

2007-04-15T21:53:00.002-05:00

In a word: mmmmmm...

1 medium onion, chopped
1 1/2 teaspoons garlic powder
1 Tablespoon vegetable oil
2 cans (15 oz. each) Great Northern beans, rinsed and drained
1 can (about 14 oz.) chicken broth
2 cans (4 oz. each) chopped green chilies
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon oregano
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper (adjust to taste)
2 to 3 cups diced, cooked chicken
1 cup sour cream
1/2 cup whipping cream

In large saucepan, saute onion in oil to soften. Add garlic and cook for one minute. Add beans, broth, chilies, and seasonings. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add cooked chicken and simmer for a few minutes more. Remove from heat; stir in sour cream and whipping cream. 6 servings.

Version française

Amazing Soft Ginger Cookies

2007-04-14T13:06:00.000-05:00

I came across this recipe after a particular coworker stole the ones I had from Lindsborg. And in retrospect, I guess it was a good thing. These cookies are unreal.

Ingredients:

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 generous teaspoons ground ginger
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon (at least!)
3/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup margarine, softened
1 cup white sugar
1 egg
1 tablespoon water
1/4 cup molasses
2 tablespoons white sugar (for rolling the balls of dough in)

And now I will reveal the Secret of the Cookie, because I find it amazing: If you want big, soft cookies, use cold butter or margarine (to accomplish this, you'll either need the kind that comes in the tub, or one heck of a good mixer). If you want flat, soft cookies, use room temperature butter. I swear. With that in mind:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Sift together the flour, ginger, baking soda, cinnamon, cloves, and salt and set aside.

In a large bowl, cream together the margarine and 1 cup sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the egg, then stir in the water and molasses. Gradually stir the sifted ingredients into the molasses mixture.

At this point you will absolutely want to chill the dough for a while, or it will be too sticky to handle.

When the dough is suitably chilled, shape it into walnut sized balls and roll them in the remaining 2 tablespoons of sugar. Place the cookies 2 inches apart onto a greased cookie sheet, and flatten slightly. Or don't flatten. I never do.

Bake for 8 to 10 minutes in the preheated oven. Allow cookies to cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely. Store in an airtight container, in the unlikely event that there are any left to store.

Darci's Tuna Salad

2007-04-14T12:43:00.000-05:00

It seems like a dubious honor to have my own tuna salad, but it gets rave reviews. My friends won't make their own tuna when I'm around, and J once accidentally offended me by claiming that the best dish I prepare is tuna. He insisted that it was a compliment. So, here goes:

Combine a can of tuna with a large teaspoonish amount of mayonnaise and a forkful of relish. Add the following:

a few shakes of garlic powder

a few shakes of onion powder (and/or a palmful of dried minced onion)

a few shakes of basil, crushed

enough dill to create a thin layer over everything

many, many shakes of lemon pepper

When you can no longer see the tuna, you've got it all right. Stir together, and if you want to be really classy, add some grated apple. Otherwise, slap it on some bread and have an excellent tuna salad sandwich.

There it is, folks. My secret revealed.

Snacker Crackers

2007-04-14T12:36:00.000-05:00

1All credit for this recipe goes to Jenny. It was her brilliant and celebrated idea.

Ingredients:

Ritz crackers, preferably of the garlic or vegetable variety

Pepperoni

Grated cheese, of your favorite variety

Black olives

To make: combine the last three ingredients on top of the first. Microwave until all the cheese is melted. Supply napkins. Enjoy.

Vietnamese Fried Rice

2007-04-14T12:22:00.000-05:00

Well, this recipe started out as Vietnamese fried rice, but I've tweaked it so many times that it's probably a totally different recipe now. Also, I apologize for the vagueness: I basically made this recipe up and I never measure.

Cook some rice. I usually start with between 1 and 1 1/2 cups dry, and use a rice cooker.

Heat up a skillet with enough oil to cover the bottom, and a bit to spare.

Add rice.

Then, add (about):

1 tsp salt

1 tsp pepper

Chinese 5 spice

garlic powder

onion, in some form (if it's not dried or powdered onion, then you should simmer it for a while before adding the rice)

1 tbsp soy sauce

3 tbsp sugar

And mix that together really well. If you have some cooked, cut-up meat, you can add that now. I usually don't, and it's still delicious.

Spoon all the rice to one side of the skillet and add an egg to the empty side. Let it cook a little bit, and then stir it in. Pour another egg over the rice and mix that in until it cooks. And, if you have lots of rice, add another one.

If you're a healthy person you can add some peas or other relevant vegetables, or you can do it my way and call it done with the egg.

Apple Pork Chops

2007-04-13T15:20:00.000-05:00

I cut this from a newspaper years ago. The apple makes the pork chops moist and tender!

8 pork chops, cut 1/2 inch thick
salt and pepper
1/2 cup Heinz 57 Sauce, original flavor
1 can (6 oz.) frozen apple juice concentrate, undiluted
3 cooking apples, cored, sliced 1/2 inch thick

Trim excess fat from chops; brown in skillet. Season with salt and pepper. Place in a 13" x 9" baking pan; arrange apple slices over chops. Combine 57 Sauce and apple juice; pour over chops. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 to 40 minutes or until chops are tender, basting occasionally.