Pe(c)an Tarts

(one of these days I'll start actually taking my own pictures)

Preheat oven to 350

Crust:
1 8oz package of cream cheese (softened)
2 cubes of butter (softened)
2 cups flour
* We use white flour.  Also, this time I forgot to double the butter and so essentially, we only had 1 cube per batch and its good that way too (if you want to cut back on fat)

Filling:
1 cup honey 
2 teaspoon vanilla
2 eggs
2 cups chopped pecans

Mix Crust (you may want to chill crust dough for a little while to make it easier to work with)
Roll crust into balls and place in mini cupcake pans sprayed with non-stick spray. Push dough around to make a tiny pie crust

Mix filling and put about one teaspoon of filling in each mini crust. 

Bake at 350 for 20-25 min
Makes 2.5 to 3 dozen

We always seem to have more filling than we do crust.  So, you could either make the crusts thinner, OR use the extra filling and some crust to make larger tarts in big muffin tins (just remember they will have to cook a bit longer.

* The name is a joke.  Every year we have a hard time finding the recipe because Celeste spelled it Pean instead of Pecan.  

Chicken, Grated Beets, and Beet Greens with Orange Butter

We had this for dinner tonight. Yum! I think next time I will put the beets over eggplant though. It is nice that everything is cooked in the same pan too.

http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Chicken-Grated-Beets-and-Beet-Greens-with-Orange-Butter-355772
Ingredients:

1 1/2 tablespoons butter, room temperature, divided
1/4 teaspoon finely grated orange peel (I used lemon peel)
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, divided
2 skinless boneless chicken breast halves
2 tablespoons chopped shallots
2 medium red beets with greens, greens stemmed and coarsely chopped, beets peeled and coarsely grated
2 teaspoons Sherry wine vinegar, divided (I used rice vinegar)
1/3 cup water (maybe my pan was too big, but I had to use closer to a cup)

Preparation:

Mix 1 tablespoon butter and 1/4 teaspoon orange peel in small bowl. Season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Set aside until the end. Heat 1/2 tablespoon oil in medium skillet over medium-high heat. Sprinkle chicken breasts with salt and pepper. Add to skillet and sauté until cooked through and golden brown, 4 to 5 minutes per side. Place 1 chicken breast in center of each plate; tent with foil to keep warm.

Melt remaining 1/2 tablespoon butter with 1/2 tablespoon oil in same skillet over medium-high heat. Add shallots; stir until tender and beginning to brown, about 1 minute. Add beet greens; toss until leaves are tender but still bright green, about 2 minutes. Add 1 teaspoon Sherry wine vinegar; stir 30 seconds. Season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Spoon greens alongside chicken; cover to keep warm. Add grated beets and 1/3 cup water to same skillet ; cover and cook 2 minutes, stirring occasionally. Uncover and continue cooking until beets are tender and water is almost evaporated, stirring often, about 1 minute. Add remaining 1 teaspoon vinegar; stir 30 seconds. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Spoon beets onto plates. Spoon orange butter atop chicken and serve.

Quick and Yummy Wonton stuff

We had a pretty yummy dinner tonight.

1 bag of mini wontons (we get bags at Costco-- CJ all natural chicken and vegetable)
half a can of coconut milk
some ginger (maybe 1/2 tsp?)
lemongrass (We had some on hand so I chopped it up and stuck it in. I don't know how much difference it made)
Small bunch of chives
Greens, like kale or bok choy

Saute the wontons in oil with all the ingredients except the greens. Once it's mostly cooked add the greens and finish cooking.

This was delicious, fairly healthy, and easy to make. I need to stock up on mini wontons. ;)

Substitutions

Found this Alcohol substitution chart today when trying to find a replacement for cognac and thought I would share. 

Alcohol Substitutes for Cooking
Type of Alcohol	Substitute
Amaretto	Almond extract (1/2 teaspoon extract for 2 tablespoons of Amaretto) or Italian soda syrup.
Anisette	Anise Italian soda syrup or fennel.
Apple Brandy	Apple juice, unsweetened apple juice concentrate, apple cider, or apple butter.
Apricot Brandy	Syrup from a can of apricots in heavy syrup, or apricot preserves.
Beer or Ale	A strong chicken, beef or mushroom broth, or non-alcoholic beer.
Beer or Ale (Light)	Chicken broth, white grape juice or ginger ale.
Bourbon	1 1/2 to 2 teaspoons of vanilla extract.
Brandy	1/2 to 1 teaspoon of brandy or rum extract for 2 tablespoons of Brandy. When liquid amount is critical to the recipe, use water or fruit juices corresponding to flavor of brandy (use same amount of liquid as the recipe calls for brandy),
Calvados	Apple juice, unsweetened apple juice concentrate, apple cider, or apple butter.
Chambord	Raspberry juice, syrup or extract.
Champagne	Ginger ale, sparkling apple cider, sparkling cranberry juice, or sparkling white grape juice.
Cherry Liqueur or Cherry Brandy	Syrup from a can of cherries in heavy syrup, or cherry Italian soda Syria or cherry preserves.
Claret	non-alcoholic wine, diluted grape juice or cherry cider syrup.
Coffee Liqueur	To replace 2 tablespoons of liqueur, use 1/2 to 1 teaspoon of chocolate extract mixed with 1 teaspoon of instant coffee, which has been mixed in 2 tablespoons of water. Can also substitute expresso, non-alcoholic coffee extract or coffee syrup.
Cognac	Apricot, peach or pear juice.
Cointreau	To replace 2 tablespoons of liqueur, use 2 tablespoons of orange juice concentrate or 2 tablespoons of orange juice with 1/2 teaspoon of orange extract.
Crème de cacao	Powdered white chocolate combined with water, or non-alcoholic vanilla extract and powdered sugar.
Crème de cassis	Black currant Italian soda syrup or black currant jam.
Crème de menthe	non-alcoholic mint extract, mint Italian soda syrup, spearmint extract, or spearmint oil with a little water added. If green color is needed, add a drop of green food coloring.
Curacao	To replace 2 tablespoons of liqueur, use 2 tablespoons of orange juice concentrate or 2 tablespoons of orange juice with 1/2 teaspoon of orange extract.
Framboise	Raspberry juice or raspberry syrup.
Frangelico	Hazelnut or almond extract.
Galliano	Licorice extract.
Gewurztraminer	White grape juice combined with lemon juice.
Grand Marnier	To replace 2 tablespoons of liqueur, use 2 tablespoons of orange juice concentrate or 2 tablespoons of orange juice with 1/2 teaspoon of orange extract.
Grappa	Grape juice.
Grenadine	non-alcoholic grenadine or pomegranate syrup.
Hard Cider	Apple juice or apple cider.
Kirsch	Cherry cider or black cherry, raspberry, boysenberry, currant, or grape juice or syrup. Substitute same amount of liquid as called for in the recipe.
Licorice or Anise Liqueur	Anise Italian soda syrup or fennel.
Mirin	White grape juice combined with lemon juice or lemon zest.
Muscat	White grape juice combined with powdered sugar.
Ouzo	Anise Italian soda syrup or fennel.
Orange Liqueur	Orange juice concentrate, orange juice, orange zest or orange marmalade.
Peach Brandy	Syrup from a can of peaches in heavy syrup, or peach preserves.
Peppermint Schnapps	non-alcoholic mint or peppermint extract, mint Italian soda syrup, or mint leaves.
Port	Concord grape juice with some lime zest added, cranberry juice with some lemon juice added, or grape juice concentrate. Substitute orange juice or apple juice for lighter ports.
Red Burgundy	Red wine vinegar, grape juice or non-alcoholic wine.
Red Wine, sweet or dry	non-alcoholic wine with a tablespoon of vinegar added to cut the sweetness, grape juice, cranberry juice, grape jelly, tomato juice, beef broth, liquid drained from vegetables, or water. Use equal amounts of liquid as called for in the recipe.
Riesling	White grape juice with a pinch of powdered sugar added.
Rum	White grape juice, pineapple juice, or apple juice in equal liquid amounts as called for in the recipe. Can also use these juices with 1/2 to 1 teaspoon of non-alcoholic rum, almond or vanilla extract added.
Sake	Rice vinegar.
Sambuca	Anise Italian soda syrup or fennel.
Schnapps	To replace 2 tablespoons of schnapps, add 1 teaspoon of a corresponding flavored extract.
Sherry	Apple juice, orange juice, pineapple juice, or non-alcoholic vanilla extract.
Southern Comfort	Peach flavored nectar combined with a small amount of cider vinegar.
Sparkling Wine	Ginger ale, sparkling apple cider, sparkling cranberry juice, or sparkling white grape juice.
Tequila	Cactus juice or nectar.
Triple Sec	Orange juice concentrate, orange juice, orange zest or orange marmalade.
Vermouth, Dry	White grape juice, white wine vinegar, or non-alcoholic white wine.
Vermouth, Sweet	Apple juice, grape juice, balsamic vinegar, non-alcoholic sweet wine, or water with lemon juice.
Whiskey	If a small amount is called for, it can be eliminated.
Vodka	White grape juice or apple cider combined with lime juice or use plain water in place of the vodka.
Savory	Thyme, marjoram, or sage
White Burgundy	non-alcoholic wine, white grape juice combined with white wine vinegar.
White Wine, sweet or dry	non-alcoholic wine with a tablespoon of vinegar added to cut the sweetness, white grape juice, apple juice, apple cider, tomato juice, chicken broth, liquid drained from vegetables, ginger ale, or water. Use equal amounts of liquid as called for in the recipe.

Pasta with Mushroom sauce

We made this recipe last night when the guys were all out. It is EXCELLENT!

 

Prep Time: 20 min

Start to Finish: 20 min

Servings: 6 (this is subjective, it really depends on how much you eat, teenage boys will eat much more than what this suggests as a serving size)

8oz Uncooked Pappardelle Pasta (we used fettuccine noodles)

2 TBS Butter

1 medium Onion; thinly sliced and separated into rings

16oz of mushrooms (We used regular button mushrooms, however you can use whatever type you desire)

2 tsp chopped fresh Sage leaves (we used ~1/2 tsp dried sage leaves)

1 tsp chopped fresh Thyme leaves (we used ~1/4 tsp dried)

1 cup Whipping Cream

1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp ground pepper

1. Cook and drain pasta as directed on package (we started the water boiling and then started step 2... placing the pasta in the water once it boiled.)

2. In 12" skillet melt butter over medium high heat.  

Cook onions in butter 8-10 min, until soft and golden.

Add Mushrooms, chopped sage, and thyme; cook until mushrooms are tender, ~5 min.

Stir in whipping cream, cheese, salt, and pepper.

3. Pour Sauce over cooked pasta and toss. 

(the timing of the food worked out pretty perfect.  The sauce got done a little before the pasta which meant that it simmered for a couple minutes, making it all the better!)

ENJOY!

Gak

Just made this with the girls. It has the added bonus of not stinking like the store bought stuff. This smells like clean laundry. This recipe picture is from my new recipe book I'm making. It's the right dimensions that you should be able to save it and print it off like a 4x6 photo. that's what I plan to do eventually anyway. :)

Mini Key Lime Cupcakes

I am totally just copy pasting this from another blog of mine. I am going to bake these for a "Cupcake War" bake off and decided to re post the recipe on here.
Technically this recipe is courtesy of Emily, as she is the one who gave it to me.

 

 The original Betty Crocker recipe can be found here

Prep Time: 40 min

Total Time: 1 hour 50 min

Makes: 48 cupcakes

Topping

1            box (4-serving size) vanilla instant pudding and pie filling mix

1 1/2            cups whipping cream

1/4            cup Key lime or regular lime juice

4            drops green food color

1 1/2            cups powdered sugar – I didn’t add the sugar here since I enjoy a little bit of tartness

Cupcakes

48            regular-size paper baking cups

1            box Betty Crocker® SuperMoist® yellow cake mix

            Water, vegetable oil and eggs called for on cake mix box

Frosting

1            container Betty Crocker® Whipped fluffy white frosting

1            tablespoon Key lime or regular lime juice – I just buy the stuff in the lime shaped container, I also add a little more lime juice than this calls for, but you don’t add too much, or else the topping will be too runny… (that could have been why mine were a little too runny) but I REALLY like lime. :o)

1/2            teaspoon grated Key lime or regular lime peel

                       

                                   

           

1.  In large bowl, beat pudding mix and whipping cream with wire whisk 2 minutes. Let stand 3 minutes. Beat in 1/4 cup Key lime juice and the food color; stir in powdered sugar until smooth. Cover and refrigerate.

2.  Heat oven to 375°F (350°F for dark or nonstick pans). Place paper baking cup in each of 24 regular-size muffin cups. Make cake batter as directed on box. Spoon about 1 rounded tablespoonful batter (don’t use any more than a TBS the cupcakes are better when they are thin) into each muffin cup, using about half of the batter. (Muffin cups will be about 1/3 full.) Refrigerate remaining batter. Bake 12 to 16 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Remove from pan to cooling rack. Repeat with remaining baking cups and batter. Cool cupcakes completely, about 15 minutes.

3.  Remove paper baking cups from cupcakes. Swirl about 2 teaspoons topping on top of each cupcake.

4.  Stir frosting in container 20 times. Gently stir in 1 tablespoon Key lime juice and the lime peel. Spoon frosting into 1-quart resealable food-storage plastic bag. Cut 1/2-inch opening from bottom corner of bag. Squeeze 1 rounded teaspoonful frosting from bag onto topping. Garnish with fresh lime wedge, if desired. Store in refrigerator.

High Altitude (3500-6500 ft): Divide batter in half. Distribute 1/2 batter evenly among 24 muffin cups. Refrigerate remaining batter, and repeat process.

Now, enjoy your yummy deliciousness!!! :o)

** Update **
In case anyone was wondering.... I won the cupcake bake off with these ;o) 

Fantastic Whole Wheat Carrot Cake

Ingredients

2 cups white whole wheat flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons cinnamon

3/4 cup oil

3/4 cup honey

4 eggs

2 cups grated carrots

1 cup unsweetened crushed canned pineapple, drained

1/2 cup chopped walnuts

Directions

1 Combine dry ingredients.

2 Add oil, honey, and eggs; mix well.

3 Stir in remaining 3 ingredients.

4 Bake for 35-40 minutes at 350 degrees.

Pesto. Yes it is that good.

I really like pesto. I use it as an alternative to mayonnaise on sandwiches and as a topper for pastas. It makes for a nice change. It's very flavorful. And a little tiny jar lasts me a really long time. Tonight I tried making it fresh for the first time ever and it was fantastic! The best part is that it took about 5 minutes to make and had almost no cleanup.

• 1 cup packed, coarsely chopped fresh basil (can vary by a third cup either way)
• 1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese (fresh grated is best)
• 1/3 cup olive oil
• 2 tablespoons pine nuts or sunflower kernels
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon pepper
• 1 clove garlic, peeled

Directions

1. In a food processor or blender, combine all the ingredients; cover and process until blended. Cover and freeze for up to 3 months.

Chicken Enchiladas

2-3 chicken breasts (cooked and cut)
1 4oz can of green chilies
1/2 onion (chopped)
Butter
1 pkg cream cheese
1 cup whipping cream
1 cup half/half
10 corn tortillas
cheese- your choice (mozzarella, cheddar, or jack)
salt and pepper to taste


Saute onion and green chilies in butter. Soften cream cheese in microwave. Combine cooked chicken, green chilies, onion, and cream cheese. Butter corn tortillas on both sides, fill with chicken mixture and roll. Place in casserole dish seam side down. Combine cream, half/half, salt and pepper, pour over the enchiladas. Top with cheese. Bake at 350 for 30 mins.

Steak Sous-Vide

Start to finish, this recipe will take about 50-60 minutes.

You will need:

A large pot

Zip-loc bags, one for each steak

A cooking torch

A thermometer

Steaks, any size (I prefer porterhouse or NY strip)

Your favorite steak seasoning (I usually go for McCormac's Montreal Steak)

Prepare:

1. Fill the large pot with water and attach the thermometer so you can measure water temp.

2. Begin heating the water slowly, you will want it to be about 120F

3. Place each steak in a bag, and squeeze out as much air as possible. Do not pre-season the meat.

Cook!

4. Place the bagged steaks in the water once it reaches 120F.

5. Heat the steaks at 120F for 30 minutes. You will need to keep an eye on the thermometer to make sure the water isn't too hot or cold.

6. After the 30 minutes at 120F, turn up the heat and increase the water temp to about 138F.

7. Heat the bagged steaks at 138F for 15 minutes.

8. Remove the bags from the pot, and remove the steaks from the bags.

9. One by one, dab each steak dry with paper towels to remove excess moisture.

10. Using the cooking torch, evenly brown the outside surface of the meat on all sides. Be careful, as fat pockets may pop and spit small bits of hot oil.

At this point the steaks are fully cooked and ready to eat. I recommend taste-testing before adding any seasoning or condiment.

Enjoy!

Strawberry-Watermelon Slushie





2 cups cubed seedless watermelon
1 pint fresh strawberries, halved (I actually used a little less than a pint.  Maybe 3/4 of it)
1/3 C sugar
1/3 C fresh lemon juice
2-4 C ice cubes

In a blender, combine the watermelon, strawberries, sugar and lemon juice; cover and process on high until smooth. With blender running, gradually add ice cubes until desired consistency is reached.  Pour into chilled glasses and serve immediately.

Yield: 5-7 cups

Sausage & Pasta with Basil

This is a yummy twist on traditional spaghetti.  Sorry no picture.

1 pound ground sausage
1 large  onion, chopped (I use about half an onion)
1 bell pepper, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 can (14.5 oz) chopped tomatoes
12 oz spaghetti
2 to 3 tablespoons dry basil
1 to 2 tablespoons dry parsley
3/4 to 1 cup Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup olive oil


- Cook sausage until it begins to brown.  Add onion and bell pepper; continue to cook, stirring until onion is soft but not brown.  Stir in garlic, then tomatoes and their liquid.  Bring to boil; reduce heat and boil gently, uncovered, stirring often, until slightly thickened.

- Meanwhile, cook spaghetti according to package directions.  Drain well.

- In large serving bowl, combine basil, parsley, 1/2 cup of the cheese and oil.  Add spaghetti and mix lightly.  Top with sausage-tomato sauce.  Serve with remaining cheese.

Speedy Spelt Drop Biscuits

2 cups Spelt flour
1TBS Baking Powder
½ tsp Salt
2 cups Buttermilk (or 2 cups milk + 2 TBS vinegar)
(Use only ½ of the milk to start, that is usually about right, if you use it all it will be too runny)

*Add whatever extras you want.  Some cheddar cheese is delicious (a handful or so).  If you want a garlicky flavor, add ~1tsp of garlic powder per batch I also really enjoy some basil in it.

bake on 400 for 12-15 min

Baked Creamy Chicken Taquitos

A friend of ours made this when we came over for dinner the other night. They were so good. Josh ate like eight of them. So fantastic!

Recipe by OurBestBites.com

Ingredients:
1/3 C (3 oz) cream cheese
1/4 C green salsa
1T fresh lime juice
1/2 t cumin
1 t chili powder
1/2 t onion powder
1/4 t granulated garlic
3 T chopped cilantro
2 T sliced green onions

2 C shredded cooked chicken
1 C grated pepperjack cheese

small corn tortillas
kosher salt
cooking spray

Directions:
Heat oven to 425. Line a baking sheet with foil and lightly coat with cooking spray.

Heat cream cheese in the microwave for about 20-30 seconds so it's soft and easy to stir. Add green salsa, lime juice, cumin, chili powder, onion powder and granulated garlic. Stir to combine and then add cilantro and green onions. Add chicken and cheese and combine well.

You can prepare up to this step ahead of time. Just keep the mixture in the fridge.

Work with a few tortillas at a time and heat in the microwave until they are soft enough to roll without cracking. It helps to place them between damp paper towels. Usually 20-30 seconds will do it. If you find yours are cracking when you roll them or come unrolled right away, just try heating them longer and try the paper towel thing.

Place 2-3 T of chicken mixture on the lower third of a tortilla, keeping it about 1/2 inch from the edges.

Then roll it up as tight as you can.

Place seam side down on the baking sheet. Lay all of the taquitos on the baking sheet and make sure they are not touching each other. Spray the tops lightly with cooking spray or an oil mister and sprinkle some kosher salt on top.

Place pan in oven and bake for 15-20 minutes or until crisp and the ends start to get golden brown.

Dip 'em in salsa, sour cream, guacamole, or this dressing.

Zucchini Bread

I tried a new recipe today. Here it is. 

Ingredients:

3 cups whole grain flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
3 teaspoons ground cinnamon
3 eggs
1 cup vegetable oil (you could cut this back for sure; I used olive oil but I probably won't next time-- wrong flavor)
1 cup honey
3 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 cups grated zucchini (I'll add more next time-- maybe another half cup)
1 cup chopped walnuts



Directions:

Grease and flour two 8 x 4 inch pans. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C).
Sift flour, salt, baking powder, soda, and cinnamon together in a bowl.
Beat eggs, oil, vanilla, and honey together in a large bowl. Add sifted ingredients to the creamed mixture, and beat well. Stir in zucchini and nuts until well combined. Pour batter into prepared pans.
Bake for 40 to 60 minutes (it was closer to 40), or until tester inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool in pan on rack for 20 minutes. Remove bread from pan, and completely cool-- soooo much better once it has been in the fridge for a couple hours!

Tasty Butter Milk Pancakes

This is super easy because every thing is 2 of something.

2 cups Buttermilk
(If you don't have butter milk use 2 cups milk and 2TBS of vinegar. This will work for any buttermilk recipe)
 2 TBS Honey
2 TBS Olive Oil
2 eggs (Yolks in the batter, save the whites out to whip up and add later)

2 cups whole grain flour
2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt

Whip egg whites till stiff and set aside. Mix liquids.  Add dry ingredients. Fold in egg whites

Cook on a griddle at 350.

Enjoy!!

I made some of the strawberry sauce for topping

Simple Nectarine Pie

Okay so this is great because you don't have to peel or boil or anything. The nectarine peels just go soft when you bake it. So quick and so yummy. I adapted it from this recipe at food.com.

food.com

Ingredients:
pastry for a double-crust 9-inch pie
5 cups nectarines, sliced
1 cup sugar (I've done it with honey and I would recommend a bit more than 1/2 cup)
1/3-1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/4-1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
2 tablespoons sugar (optional)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Wash, and slice nectarines. Mix together all ingredients. Put it in the pie crust. Sprinkle top with 2 tablespoons of sugar (optional). Bake 35 to 45 minutes or until crust is brown and juice begins to bubble through the slits in the crust.

Note: you may want to cover the edges with foil to prevent burning.

Mimi's Cafe Bread

Have you ever had that stupendous carrot raisin bread that they serve at Mimi's Cafe? This is a very good imitation of it. So fantastic! Taken from here

Mimi's Carrot Raisin Bread
Ingredients:

1 1/2 C flour (I used whole white wheat)
1teaspoon baking soda
2t baking powder
2t cinnamon
1/2t salt
3/4 C oil
1 C brown sugar
2 eggs
1/2 C walnuts chopped (I forgot to add these)
1/2 C crushed pineapples drained
1/2 C raisins
1 C shredded carrot

Method
Sift first five ingredients In a separate bowl whisk oil, sugar and eggs. Stir liquid mix into flour mixture. Add the rest of the ingredients. Grease a 9-in pan or four mini loaf pans. Bake at 350 degrees for 40 mins. For the mini loaves you want to bake for about 30.
**After its done baking leave the bread in the pan for 10 minutes. Then transfer it to a cooking rack. If you take it out right after its in the oven, it will fall apart, and so will you**

Garden Fresh Tomato Soup

We had this for dinner tonight with grilled cheese sandwiches. I got it from allrecipies.com

Ingredients
4 cups chopped fresh tomatoes
1 onion chopped
4 whole cloves
2 cups chicken broth
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons white sugar, or to taste


Directions
In a stockpot, over medium heat, combine the tomatoes, onion, cloves and chicken broth. Bring to a boil, and gently boil for about 20 minutes to blend all of the flavors. Remove from heat and put in blender until smooth.
In the now empty stockpot, melt the butter over medium heat. Stir in the flour to make a roux, cooking until the roux is a medium brown. Gradually whisk in a bit of the tomato mixture, so that no lumps form, then stir in the rest. Season with sugar and salt, and adjust to taste.

I added a little bit of milk at the end, then poured it into bowels and sprinkled grated cheese and parsley on top.

A lot of people recommended straining this after you blend it. I liked it how it was, but I didn't like the cloves floating in it... I will probably either fish those out or use ground cloves next time.

Double it.

posting emails

I set it up so that we all get emails when somebody posts on this blog. That way we don't have to check all the time. Is everybody okay with that?

Dill?

Does anyone have a good recipe that uses dill? I'd love to see it.

Requests

I have another recipe to post, but first I would like to make a request...

Dear Micah, Please post the recipe for the yummy nummy noodles that you cooked for us while I was visiting... please and thank you!

Lemon, Asparagus Fettuccine

This is a great recipe that I stole from Angela. We double it.

Ingredients:
8oz Fettuccine Noodles
2 cups asparagus
1 summer squash
2 (1 tsp) cloves garlic
1Tbs butter
1/2 cup cream
2 tsp lemon peel
Parmesan cheese

Cook Pasta. Cook asparagus, squash and garlic in butter for 2-3 minutes. Remove vegetables and add to pasta. Combine cream and Lemon peel in skillet. Boil 2-3 minutes or reduced to about 1/3 cup. Poor cream over pasta. Stir gently. Add Parmesan.

Quinoa, Black Bean, and Corn Salad

This is so yummy and fresh tasting. I love it! Perfect for the summertime. I have made it as a side or as the main course.

This recipe doesn't have peppers, but this was the best picture I could find.

Ingredients:
1 cup red quinoa, cooked with broth
2 cups chicken or vegetable broth
1 15 ounce can black beans, drained and rinsed
2 cups frozen roasted corn kernels (or plain corn)
1 avocado, cut into ½ inch pieces
1 pint grape tomatoes, halved (or other small tomatoes)
½ red onion, finely chopped
1/3 cup olive oil
¼ cup lime or lemon juice
Zest of 1 lime
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon pepper

Directions
Cook quinoa with broth according to instructions on package. Cool quinoa. Combine quinoa, beans, corn, tomatoes, onion and cilantro. Make a dressing with the oil, lime or lemon juice, lime zest, salt and pepper to taste. Toss together. Garnish with the avocado and additional cilantro.

Lemonade





This is seriously really good lemonade.  We mixed it with about 1 tablespoon strawberry sauce and made strawberry lemonade.  Yum!!!

Recipe by Our Best Bites

2 c. sugar

1 c. fresh lemon juice (about 5-6 large lemons)

1/4 c. fresh lime juice

1/2 c. loosely packed fresh mint leaves (optional)

8 1/2-10 1/2 c. water, divided

Ice cubes

Combine 2 1/2 c. water and sugar in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Stir until sugar has dissolved and then simmer 5 minutes. Remove from heat and cool about 20 minutes. Add lemon and lime juices to the sugar syrup. If desired, place mint leaves in a lidded pitcher or large, lidded storage bowl. Pour lemon-lime mixture into container. If not using mint, refrigerate. If using mint, allow to stand 1 hour and then strain mixture and store until ready to serve.

When ready to serve, mix lemonade base with 6-8 c. cold water. Start with 6 c. and then adjust according to your taste. 6 c. will be very sweet, 8 c. will border on watery.

Strawberry Sauce

(from ourbestbites.com)

1 pint strawberries

1/3 c. white sugar

1 tsp. almond extract (my favorite) or vanilla extract

Wash strawberries, remove stems and roughly chop the berries. 

Combine berries, sugar, and extract in medium saucepan and bring to a simmer over medium heat.

Cook for five minutes, stirring/breaking strawberries up with a wooden spoon constantly.

After five minutes, remove from heat and allow to cool slightly.

When cool enough, transfer mixture to blender and pulse until desired consistency is reached.

Uses:

add a tablespoon or two to a glass of lemonade, sauce on fruit pizza, over icecream, waffles, etc.

Chicken and Wild Rice Soup

8 c. water
1 4.3 oz pkg wild rice
1 pkg Liptons noodle soup
2 celery stalks, chopped
1/2 c. onion, chopped
1 or 2 med carrots, chopped
2 cans cream of chicken soup
1/2 lb cooked chicken, chopped

Saute vegetables. Add water, cream of chicken soup, noddle soup, rice and chicken. Simmer 20 min.

Cheddar Bay Biscuits

Okay, so about a month ago I was totally craving those biscuits you can get at the seafood restaurants so I searched around online and found a recipe that is great!  It is super easy, quick.

Ingredients:

4 cups baking mix (i.e. Bisquick)

3 ounces cheddar cheese (...whatever 3 oz is I just put in a handful)

1 1/3 cups water

1/2 cup melted butter

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon Old Bay seasoning

1/8 teaspoon onion powder

1/8 teaspoon dried parsley

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Line baking sheet with parchment paper.

In a mixing bowl, combine the baking mix, cheese, and water.  Mix until dough is firm.  Using a small scoop, place dough on prepared pan.

Bake for 10 to 12 minutes or until golden brown.

Combine the melted butter, garlic powder, salt, Old Bay seasoning, onion powder, and parsley.  Brush over baked biscuits immediately upon removing from the oven.

Slow-Cooker Chicken Tortilla Soup

I will start by saying this soup tastes completely amazing and so quick and easy!!!!

(...I keep cooked shredded chicken and turkey in the freezer as well as chopped onions)

So here goes:

Ingredients:
1 pound shredded, cooked chicken
1 (15 ounce) can diced tomatoes
1 (10 ounce) can enchilada sauce
1 medium onion, chopped
1 (4ounce) can chopped green chili peppers
2 cloves of garlic, minced
2 cups water
1 (14.5 ounce can chicken broth)
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 bay leaf

1 can of black beans, rinsed

1 (10oz package of frozen corn)
1 tablespoon chopped cilantro 


Toppings:
Corn tortillas cut in strips (brush both sides with olive oil and bake at 400 degrees until crisp about 10 to 15 minutes)
Shredded cheddar cheese
Sour cream
Guacamole (avocado, lemon juice, salt, onion powder - mix in whatever tastes right) 

Directions:
Place chicken, tomatoes, enchilada sauce, onion, green chilies, and garlic into a slow cooker.  Pour in water and chicken broth, and season with cumin, chili powder, salt, pepper, and bay leaf.  Stir in beans, corn and cilantro.  Cover, and cook on Low setting for 6 to 8 hours or on High setting for 3 to 4 hours.

Serve with tortilla strips, guacamole, sour cream and shredded cheddar cheese on top.

...We were scared to put the guacamole in the soup at first but it tasted so good and really made the soup!!!

Mom's Best Breakfast

In a medium saucepan combine 4 cups of water with a pinch of salt. Place pan on stove burner and turn to the hi setting. Bring mixture to a boil. Turn off burner and immediately stir in 2 cups of uncooked oatmeal. Let stand for five minutes. Dish into individual bowls and serve with raw goat's milk and honey. (-:

Chicken Marbella

This is a recipe that my boss used at a party a few months ago.

I LOVED it!

So I asked her for the recipe.
Sorry, I didn't take pictures... but I stole one off line! ;o)

Apparently she found it on epicurious... here
I plan on exploring this site more at a later date

The recipe is HUGE!!!!!!!
So I am going to reduce it on here for you!
I halved the recipe ... it was still too much... luckily we had friends who were willing to help us eat it ;o)

Okay, just a note... I change recipes around all the time.  In this case I used thighs instead of whole chicken, but the original recipe is above so if you want to do it the standard way, you can.


Recipe:
~2.5lb chicken thighs
1/4 head of Garlic 
(I would estimate around 3 cloves for this, but go ahead and check)
1 TBS dried Oregano
Coarse Salt and Pepper to taste 
(I just used regular and it worked fine)
2 TBS Red wine vinegar
2 TBS Olive Oil
1/4 cup pitted prunes
Trust me on this... they are good
1/8 (or 2 TBS) cup pitted green olives
2 TBS Capers
2 Bay leaves
I love Bay leaves... so I added more than the recipe called for.
1/4 cup brown sugar (or 1TBS Honey and 1TBS Molasses if you don't like the refined sugars)
1/4 cup White Wine
1TBS Fresh Parsley
you sprinkle this on top... so once again this is a relative number.

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a large bowl combine chicken quarters, garlic, oregano, pepper to taste, vinegar, olive oil, prunes, olives, capers and juice, and bay leaves. Cover and let marinate, refrigerated, overnight.

Arrange chicken in a single layer in one or two large, shallow baking pans and spoon marinade over it evenly. Sprinkle chicken pieces with brown sugar and pour white wine around them.

I just mixed everything including sugars and wine 

then dipped the chicken and got it covered in the sauce

then laid it out in the casserole dish poured the rest of the sauce over it

and stuck it in the fridge over night, next day I just pulled it out,

turned it over to re soak the chicken, and tossed it in the oven.

Bake for 50 minutes to 1 hour, basting frequently with pan juices. Chicken is done when thigh pieces, pricked with a fork at their thickest, yield clear yellow (rather than pink) juice.

With a slotted spoon transfer chicken, prunes, olives and capers to a serving platter. Moisten with a few spoonfuls of pan juices and sprinkle generously with parsley or cilantro. If desired, salt chicken to taste. Pass remaining pan juices in a sauceboat.

To serve Chicken Marbella cold, cool to room temperature in cooking juices before transferring to a serving platter. If chicken has been covered and refrigerated, allow it to return to room temperature before serving. Spoon some of the reserved juices over chicken.

Even though I quartered this recipe it still fed 8 adults... so be prepared for leftovers or personal adaptation