Saturday, April 23, 2011

Carmel Pull Aparts



Ingredients:
16-20 Rhodes rolls- frozen.
1 cube butter
1 sm. pkg. vanilla cook pudding (not instant)
3/4 cup brown sugar
Add nuts if you want.


Directions:
Put any nuts you want first in a bunt pan.
Melt butter in small bowl
Mix pudding powder and brown sugar in bowl.
Roll frozen roll in melted butter and then in mixture.
Place in bunt pan.
Put about 16 - 20 rolls in pan.
Pour the rest of the butter and mixture over the rolls.
Spray plastic wrap and put over rolls.
Put in oven over night to rise. (8 hours)
I somtimes put it in the fridge if you have a longer time from prep to serving than 8 hours.
When ready to bake take off plastic wrap and put some foil on to protect the tops from burning.
Bake at 350 for about 20 mins. (when ever rolls are done)
When done turn over on plate while still hot.


Friday, April 15, 2011

Artichoke Spinach Lasagna

This is one of those recipes that you come across in some random magazine that it not a food magazine and it then becomes one of your favorite recipes:)


Artichoke Spinach Lasagna

½ cup chopped onion (I just used a whole onion)

4 garlic cloves, minced

1 T olive oil

1 can (14 ½ oz) chicken broth

1 t. dried rosemary, crushed

¼ t. each ground nutmeg and pepper

1 can (14oz) water-packed artichoke hearts, rinsed, drained and quartered

1 pkg (10oz) frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry

½ c. sliced fresh mushrooms

1 jar (16oz) roasted garlic Alfredo or Parmesan and mozzarella pasta sauce

12 no-cook lasagna noodles (I used whole wheat)

3 c. mozzarella cheese, divided

1 c. crumbled tomato and basil feta cheese or feta cheese

1/8 t. garlic powder

1/8 t. each dried oregano, parsley flakes and basil

In a large saucepan, sauté onion and garlic in oil for 2-3 minutes or until tender. Stir in the broth, rosemary, nutmeg and pepper. Bring to a boil. Add the artichokes, spinach and mushrooms. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 5 minutes. Stir in pasta sauce.

Spread 1 cup sauce mixture into a greased 9x13 baking dish. Top with three noodles and ¾ cup mozzarella cheese. Repeat layers three times. Top with remaining sauce mixture and mozzarella cheese. Sprinkle with feta cheese, garlic powder, oregano, parsley, and basil. Cover and bake at 350 for 40 minutes. Uncover; bake 15 minutes longer or until heated through. Let stand for 10 minutes before cutting.

VERY YUMMY!!!!!

Thursday, April 14, 2011

Surprise Cookies

Since we had these at the shower tonight, I thought I would post. I have made these for showers and fun ladies night!

Surprise Cookies
1 ¾ cup flour (add 2 tablespoons for high altitude)
¾ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
½ t. baking soda
½ t. salt
½ cup butter (room temp)
1 cup sugar
1 egg
½ cup whole milk (I always use skim)
1 t. vanilla
About 15 large marshmallows halved crosswise

1. Stir flour, cocoa, baking soda, and salt in bowl
2. Mix butter and sugar until fluffy (about two min). Add egg, milk, and vanilla. Add the flour mixture and stir until just combined
3. Using a 1 ¾ inch ice cream scoop, drop dough onto baking sheets lined with parchment paper
4. Bake on 375 for 8-10 minutes
5. Immediately press marshmallow halves on top of each cookie and bake 1 more minute
6. Frost cooled cookies with one tablespoon of frosting.
7. Store in air tight containers (if you have any left!!)
Frosting:
4 cups powdered sugar
6 T. butter
¼ cup cocoa powder
6 T. milk
¾ t vanilla
Melt butter and cocoa. Add to powdered sugar. Whisk in milk and vanilla.
*Adapted from ‘Martha Stewarts Cookies’

Salsa (Cami)

2 - 28oz cans Original Rotel (well drained)

1/3 cup- chunked Green Bell Pepper (about 1/4 large pepper)

1/3 cup- chunked Red Onion (about 1/4 onion)

1- chopped Anaheim Pepper

1/3 cup- fresh Cilantro

1 to 2- cloves minced Garlic (1/2 tsp granulated garlic works)

1/2 tsp- ground Cumin

1/2 tsp- sugar

1/2 tsp- Salt

1/4 tsp- ground Red Pepper

1 Tbs- lime juice


Put all ingredients in a blender and pulse about 10 times until desired consistency. YUM! this is my favorite recipe! I always have some in the fridge and I eat it on everything!


Wednesday, April 13, 2011

Crockpot recipes

Chicken Bean Soup

1 lb. boneless chicken breasts, bite sized 1 can Kidney beans or other beans
1 med. onion, chopped 1 can beef or chicken broth
1 can black beans 1 cup mild or medium salsa
1 (16 oz) can corn 1 med. red and yellow bell pepper (I usually omit this)
Put all ingredients into your crock pot and let cook on high about 3 to 4 hours.
Toppings: (I have never used any toppings, I just eat it with bread or rolls)
sour cream grated cheese
black olives chopped tomato
fresh cilantro red onion

Teriyaki Chicken

3-4 lbs chicken ( dark meat is best)

½ C. Brown Sugar

1 C. water

½ C. soy sauce

¼ tsp. ginger

¼ tsp. pepper

¼ garlic powder

¼ C. water

1 T. cornstarch

In crock pot add first 7 ingredients. Cook on high for 4 hours. Add cornstarch to water and mix to thicken gravy, add to chicken mixture and allow to thicken. Serve with rice.

Slow Cooker Southwest Chicken

2 cans lack beans, drained and rinsed

1 can chicken broth

1 can diced tomatoes with mild green chiles, undrained.

½ lb. chicken

1 small jar ( or just to taste) chunky salsa

1 can corn

1 T. parsley flakes

1 tsp. ground cumin

Pepper, to taste

Cheyenne pepper, to tast ( If you like it a little spicy like we do!)

Combine ingredients in a slow cooker, cook on high for 3-4 hours. Serve with rice.

Taco Soup

½- 1 lb. Stew meat

1 can kidney or black beans

1 can stewed tomatoes

1 onion, diced

1 can tomato sauce

1 can corn

1 package taco seasoning

2 C. water

Brown beef, add remaining ingredients into slow cooker. Cook on high for 4 hours or low 6-8 hours. Serve with tortilla chips or quesadillas.

Chicken Cacciatore

3-4 lbs. boneless/skinless thighs and breasts
1 large onion, thinly sliced
2 large red or green bell peppers, sliced
3 cloves garlic, crushed
1/2 teaspoon each basil and oregano
1 (6 oz.) can tomato paste
fresh mushrooms, sliced
2 bay leaves
1 (8 oz.) can stewed tomatoes with chiles
salt
and pepper to taste
2 cups burgundy wine (you can substitute chicken stock)
Parmesan cheese, for sprinkling before serving

Place sliced onions on bottom of crock pot. Add chicken.

Stir together remaining ingredients and pour over chicken.

Cook on low 7-9 hours or high 3-4 hours. Serve over pasta, with a salad on the side.

*This makes a lot, you can half it or have leftovers for a while!

Chocolate Custard Cake

***Cake***

2 cups packaged brownie mix
1 large egg
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1/4 cup water
***Sauce***
1 cup hot water
1/2 cup brown sugar
3 tablespoons baking cocoa

Directions:

In a mixing bowl, mix batter ingredients by hand. Pour batter in a greased 3 1/2 to 4-quart slow cooker.

Mix sauce ingredients together in a separate bowl. Pour sauce evenly over batter. Do not stir after sauce has been added.

Cover and cook on high for 2 to 2 1/2 hours (less if you have a larger crock pot). Allow cake to cool for 30 minutes before serving.

Serve with vanilla ice cream.

Easy Chicken Tortilla Soup

In crock pot add the following and

cook on low for 6-8 hours:

3 to 4 chicken breasts

1 can cream of chicken soup

1 small can diced green chilies

1 small onion chopped

1 tbsp Mexican seasoning

garlic salt to taste

salt and pepper

Take out chicken and shred.

Return to crock pot then add:

1 can chicken broth

3 roma tomatoes diced

1 can black beans—drained

¾ cup frozen or canned corn

¼ cup sour cream

Stir until mixed and let simmer on low for 20-30 min.

Top each bowl with tortilla chips, cheese, and a dollop of sour cream.

CAFE RIO SALAD


LIME-CILANTRO RICE

2 Tbsp. olive oil
4 c. long grain rice (6 c. water)
1 bunch cilantro, finely chopped
Juice of 2 limes (can use bottled juice- about 4-5 tsp)
2 tsp. crushed garlic (can use dried minced)

Heat oil in a large skillet. Add rice, cilantro, and garlic. Saute 3-5 minutes, stirring frequently. Add water and lime juice and bring to boil. Then reduce heat and simmer until all the liquid is absorbed by the rice (about 20 minutes).

You can also use a rice cooker if you have one. Just place all ingredients into rice cooker and cook until done.

SWEET PORK


pork roast
1 (16 oz.) bottle of salsa
1 can coke
2 c. brown sugar

Place pork in crock pot. Mix together ingredients (salsa, coke, brown sugar) and pour on top of pork. Cook for about 5-6 hours on high. Shred pork with forks. Leave on low until ready to serve.

CREAMY TOMATILLA SALAD DRESSING

1 packet hidden valley ranch dressing mix
1 c. buttermilk
1 c. mayo or sour cream
2-3 tomatillas (peel off outer leaf/shell)
1 tsp. crushed garlic
¾ bunch fresh cilantro
1 tsp. cayenne pepper
juice from 1 lime (about 2 tsp.)
salt & pepper

Blend all ingredients in the blender. Refrigerate.

OTHER PARTS OF THE SALAD (Use whatever you wish)

Tortillas (I like the undercooked kind- you can heat them on a griddle for a few seconds)

Romaine lettuce, chopped

Canned black beans (warm in microwave)

Tomatoes, diced

Guacamole

Cheddar cheese, shredded

Limes, sliced

Tortilla chip strips

Cilantro for garnish

COMPLETING THE SALAD

Place tortilla in a plate, pie tin or round cake pan. If desired, sprinkle cheese and melt in microwave. Place ingredients in tortilla in this order: rice, black beans, pork, lettuce, tomatoes. Top with dressing, guacamole, some tortilla strips, a sprig of cilantro and a slice of lime.

Soups

Tortellini Tomato Spinach Soup (Amanda Peck)

1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 cup minced onion (about 1/2 small onion)
1 clove garlic, minced
4 to 6 cups broth, chicken or vegetable
1 (14-ounce) can whole tomatoes, crushed through your fingers or coarsely chopped
1 (9-ounce) package fresh tortellini or 4 servings dried tortellini
Coarse grained salt and cracked black pepper
10 ounces fresh or frozen spinach, defrosted and chopped
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan, very loosely packed

In a 3-quart soup pot, heat olive oil over medium high heat. Saute the onion and garlic, stirring often until onions are translucent, about 5 to 7 minutes. Add broth and tomatoes, turn heat up to high, and bring to a boil. Add the tortellini and cook according to package instructions. When tortellini is almost done, add spinach and taste, adjusting seasonings with salt and pepper. Serve immediately. Garnish each serving with a sprinkling of Parmesan.

Nutrition Information

Nutritional Analysis per serving

Calories 263

Fat 9 g

Saturated Fat 2.8 g

Carbohydrates 29.3 g

Fiber 5.4 g

Protein 19.2 g

Potato Corn Chowder (Bethany Rawcliffe)

6 strips bacon – diced

4-6 cups finely diced potatoes (about 4 medium)- I used canned to speed the process and it was good!

1 large onion, chopped

4 cups water

3 tsp salt (1 T)

1/8 tsp pepper

1 2/3 c evaporated milk (1 can)

1 can (17 ounce) cream style corn

Fry bacon, drain. Add potatoes, onion, water, salt, pepper, and some of bacon grease in pan. Cover, bring to boil. Simmer 10-12 minutes or until potatoes are tender. Stir in milk and corn. Heat, stirring just to a boil. Do not boil!! Add bacon and serve.

Clam Chowder (Bethany Rawcliffe)

2 can minced clams

1 cup celery

1 cup onion

2 cups potatoes

¼ cup butter/margerine

½ cup flour

1 quart half and half (or milk for less fat- can even use skim)

salt

pepper

Drain clam juice into pan and set clams aside. Chop veggies and cover with just enough water to cover. Boil veggies until tender. Melt butter in separate saucepan. Add flour and cook for 2 minutes. Add milk and cook until mixture thickens and boils. Add to veggies. Add salt and pepper and heat through.

Baked Potato Soup (Lisa Hall)

6 large baking potatoes

9 T. thinly sliced green onion

9 T. butter

9 T. flour

3/4 t. dried dill weed

3/4 t. salt

3/4 t. black pepper

12 c. milk

3 c. shredded cheddar cheese

4 bouillon cubes

Topping for table:

1 c. shredded cheddar cheese

9 T. sliced green onions

12 slices bacon, crisp cooked, drained and crumbled

  1. Scrub potatoes thoroughly, prick with fork and bake in a 425 oven for 40-60 minutes or until tender. Let cool. Cut potatoes in half lengthwise; gently scoop out potato pulp. Break up any large pieces of potato. Discard potato skins.

  1. In a large saucepan cook 9 T. green onions in hot butter over medium heat until tender. Stir in flour, dill, salt, and pepper. Add milk all at once. Add bouillon cubes. Cook and stir for 12-15 minutes or until thickened and bubbly. Add the potato pulp and 3 cups of the cheese; stir until cheese melts.

  1. To serve, ladle into bowls and serve with extra cheese, green onions and bacon.

*I usually make half of this and it is plenty for our family.

Lentil Stew

1 cup dry lentils (may use 13-bean soup blend, but cool a LOT longer)

1 cup chopped onion (or sliced leeks)

cloves garlic, minced

1 Tablespoon oil

4 cups beef broth (at least)

15 oz can diced tomatoes

1 Tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

1/4 teaspoon thyme or oregano, crushed (I like to use both)

1 Bay leaf

1/4 teaspoon pepper

1/8 teaspoon cumin

1/2 cup chopped carrot

1/2 cup chopped celery

1/2 lb cooked smoked sausage, sliced

Rinse lentils. In a large pan cook onion and garlic in hot oil till tender but not brown. Stir in lentils, beef broth, undrained tomatoes, Worcestershire sauce, thyme, oregano, pepper, cumin, and bay leaf. Bring to boiling; reduce heat. Cover and simmer 15 minutes. Add carrot and celery. Return to boiling; reduce heat. Simmer for 15-20 minutes more or until lentils and vegetables are tender. Stir in smoked sausage and cook until heated through.

* I use this recipe as more of a guideline and use whatever vegetables I want to and generally at least twice the amount that the recipe calls for.

Popovers

2 beaten eggs

1 cup milk

1 Tbsp cooking oil

1 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 tsp salt

Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. Spray muffin pan with non-stick cooking spray (makes 12). In mixing bowl combine beaten eggs, milk, and oil. Add flour and salt. Beat with wire whisk or electric mixer until mixture is smooth. Fill each muffin cup half full. Bake for 20 minutes. Reduce oven to 350 degrees and cook about 10 minutes longer. Serve hot with butter and honey. Goes well with soup.

Cream of Mushroom Soup (From Simply Recipes)

INGREDIENTS

· 1 pound regular white mushrooms, cleaned, quartered or sliced

· 1 Tbsp lemon juice

· 1 Tbsp unsalted butter

· 2 Tbsp minced shallots

· 1 Tbsp chopped fresh thyme or 1 teaspoon dried thyme

· 1/2 bay leaf

· 1 teaspoon salt

· 1/2 teaspoon fresh ground pepper

· 2 cups heavy cream

· 1 1/2 cups chicken stock

· 1 teaspoon cornstarch dissolved in 1 Tbsp water

· Minced parsley for garnish

METHOD

1 In a food processor, coarsely chop mushrooms and lemon juice.

2 Melt butter in (4-5 quart) sauce pan and lightly sauté shallots on medium heat. Add mushrooms, thyme and bay leaf, sauté over moderate heat for 10-15 minutes, or until the liquid that is released from the mushrooms disappears.

3 Add salt, pepper, cream and chicken stock and bring to boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes.

4 Add cornstarch and simmer for 10 minutes, stirring constantly. Correct seasoning and add more lemon juice to taste.

Serves 4. Serve sprinkled with a little parsley.

Zuppa Toscana (Ashley Clawson)

1 lb ground sausage
1 tsp red pepper
1/4 cup chopped green onions
4 Tbsp bacon pieces
1 tsp garlic powder
10 cups water (this water stays in the soup, so make sure to measure it out.)
5 cubes of chicken bouillon
1 cup heavy cream
5 or 6 potatoes
¼ of a bunch of kale
Sautee and crushed red pepper in pot. You can either buy Italian sausage or use your favorite Italian seasonings to spice it up a bit. Drain excess fat and set aside. In the same pan, sauté bacon, green onions and garlic for approximately 15 mins until cooked through. Mix together the chicken bouillon and water in a large pot, then add it to the onions, bacon and garlic. Cook until boiling. Add potatoes and cook until soft, about half an hour. Add heavy cream and cook until thoroughly heated. Stir in the sausage.
Add kale just before serving.