Showing posts with label Recipe. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Recipe. Show all posts

Thursday, January 20, 2011

Nutrition Class

Thank you so much Bridget for teaching us this class.  You had a lot of great ideas on how to incorporate healthy foods into our diet.
Nutrition Quiz

True or False? (answer key at the bottom of post)
1. Butter and margarine have about the same amount of calories.
2. Popeye was right: Spinach builds strong muscles.
3. Canned or frozen fruits and vegetables contain fewer nutrients than the fresh fruits and vegetables.
4. A cup of white rice and a cup of brown rice both have about 200 calories.
5. A rich, fudgy brownie, before bedtime, is more fattening than the same brownie eaten at lunchtime.
6. An apple has the same amount of fiber as the equivalent amount of apple juice.
7. One cup of cottage cheese is just as good of a source of calcium as a cup of milk.
8. Soy milk is an inferior source of calcium as compared to cow’s milk.
9. Brown eggs have a higher concentration of nutrients compared to white eggs.
10. Flax seed has been shown to lower total cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, and my reduce blood triglycerides, and blood pressure. It also is a source of fiber and aids in digestion.

Recipe's

Oven Roasted Vegetables

2 red potatoes, cut into 1” cubes
1 sweet potato, cut into 1” cubes
20 baby carrots
½ red onion
1 TB olive oil
1 tsp. salt
2 handfuls of green beans
Preheat oven to 400°. Combine prepared vegetables in bowl (leave out the green beans). Pour olive oil over vegetables and stir until all are coated. Stir in salt. Spread the vegetables onto a jelly roll pan (baking sheet with raised sides) in one layer. Bake for 20 minutes. Remove from oven and stir in green beans. Add a little more oil if the vegetables seem to be sticking to the pan, stir and spread the vegetables out again. Bake for 40 more minutes (stirring halfway) or until desired tenderness is reached.

Tomato Feta Quinoa Pilaf
1 TB olive oil
¼ cup finely chopped shallots (about 2)
3 cloves of garlic, minced
1 cup quinoa
1 ½ cups broth – vegetable or chicken
1/4 tsp salt
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
1 TB fresh parsley
1 tsp chopped fresh thyme
¾ cup grape tomatoes, quartered
1/3 cup feta cheese, crumbled (if Eating Clean use low fat)
1 TB chopped basil
1 TB lemon juice
1. Heat a saucepan over medium-high heat. Add oil to pan and when warm add in the shallots. Cook for two minutes and add garlic. Cook until fragrant, around 30 seconds. Add rinsed quinoa and sauté for two minutes. Add broth, salt and cayenne pepper. Bring to a boil. Cover and allow to simmer for 15 to 18 minutes or until all liquid is absorbed. Remove from heat and allow to sit covered for five minutes.
2. Stir in parsley, thyme, basil, lemon juice, tomatoes and feta. Enjoy! This recipe also works well the next day turned into a cold salad.

Spinach and Fruit Smoothie
1 cup apple juice
4 cups fresh spinach
½ - 1 banana
3 cups frozen fruit and/or fresh fruit
1 TB ground flax
Add apple juice and then spinach to blender. Blend until smooth. Add banana and blend til smooth. Add frozen fruit and blend again until smooth. Add flax and blend to incorporate.  Pour into a glass and enjoy!
When I make this I use 2 different fruit blends from Costco for my 3 cups total of frozen fruit. I use 2 cups of the Kirkland brand berry blend (marionberries, raspberries, and blueberries) and 1 cup of the Wawona brand Spectrum fruit blend.
Nutritional Information (without added flax):
450 calories
~18 g fiber
1 Tbs ground flax adds:
35 calories
~2 g fiber
If you were to split this smoothie in half you would each get about 240 calories and 10 grams of fiber! As well as 1 serving of vegetables and over 2 servings of fruit!

Bulgur Chickpea Salad

1 cup bulgur
2 cups boiling water
1/4 cup olive oil / vegetable oil
1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
salt to taste
ground black pepper to taste
1 cup chopped green onions
1 (15 ounce) can garbanzo beans, drained
1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley
½ peeled, chopped cucumber
1 cup grated carrots
1. In a heatproof bowl, pour boiling water over bulgur. Let stand 1 hour at room temperature.
2. In a small bowl, beat together oil, lemon juice, salt, and pepper. Pour over bulgur; and mix with a fork.
3. Place bulgur in the bottom of a nice glass serving bowl. Layer vegetables and garbanzo beans in this order on top of the bulgur: green onions, garbanzo beans, parsley, cucumber and carrots on top. Cover, and refrigerate. Toss salad before serving.

Answer's to quiz
1. T
2. F
3. F
4. T
5. F
6. F
7. F
8. T
9. F
10. T

Friday, February 5, 2010

Party Class Recipes

Now that the holiday's are over and most of us are getting back to some form of normalcy, it's time for our cooking classes to resume. Our most recent "Let's Party" class was a success. The recipe's were phenomenal. Thanx to Heather and her sister for putting it together for us. Here are the recipes from the class, try them out, you will love them.

Let’s Party Recipes
Some Tips
• Choose about 6 different appetizers (remember colors, temperature, and flavors)
• Count on about 3 of each appetizer per person. If there is no main course, you may want to consider more.
• Have a fun drink to go along with the appetizers.
• Make only two or three and have the rest be easy like chips and dips, shrimp with cocktail sauce, or pizzas cut into tiny squares.
• You may want to consider having it a pot luck appetizer party and having your guests bring their favorites.
Meatballs
Meatballs from Costco
1 jar grape jelly
1 jar of chili sauce
Bake meatballs for 15 minutes at 350. In a saucepan, mix half jar of jelly with 1 jar of chili sauce and heat on stove till hot and bubbly. Pour over meatballs and serve. (Any questions, ask Heather)

Sweet & Sour Sauce
1 ½ c. sugar
¼ t. salt
2 T. soy sauce
½ c. ketchup
2/3 c. vinegar
Heat ingredients in a sauce pan till comes to a boil.

7-Layer Dip
Layer in a 9X13 pan:
1 can (not tall size) refried beans
1 pint sour cream mixed with Taco seasoning
Guacamole (2-3 Avocados and small bottle of Salsa—blend together in blender)
1 pint sour cream
4 ½ oz. can of chopped olives
1 c. each of cheddar and Monterey jack cheese
Diced tomatoes

Water Punch
1 T. lemon extract
1 T. citric acid
5 qt. water
3 c. sugar
Combine ingredients. It is really yummy with pebble ice and thin slices of lime floating on the top.

Hot Artichoke Dip
1 (8 oz) brick cream cheese
1 c. mayonnaise
1 c. Parmesan cheese
1 can artichoke hearts (non-marinated)

Mix cream cheese, mayonnaise, and Parmesan cheese. Add chopped artichokes. Put in a baking dish and bake at 350 until bubbly. Serve warm with French bread cubes.

Spinach Dip
1 pkg. (10 oz) frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained
1 container (16 oz) sour cream
1 c. mayonnaise
1 pkg. KNORR Vegetable Soup, Dip & Recipe Mix
3 green onions, chopped

In medium bowl, stir spinach, sour cream, mayonnaise, soup mix, and green onions until well mixed. Cover, chill 2 hours to blend flavors. It is fun to serve this in a large hollowed out soup bowl.

Water Chestnut Wraps
2 pkgs. Bacon
3 cans water chestnuts (whole)
Wrap bacon around water chestnuts and secure with toothpick.
Bake at 350 for 30 minutes.
Sauce:
2 c. brown sugar
1 c. mayonnaise
1 bottle of chili sauce
Heat.
Put chestnuts in crock pot. Cover with sauce. Keep warm in pot.

Buffalo Wings
12 chicken wings
½ c. honey
3 T. Worcestershire sauce
4 T. soy sauce
2 T. prepared mustard
2 T. cider vinegar

Preheat oven to 350. Spray shallow baking pan with nonstick spray. Cut wings in three pieces at the joint. Place in baking dish. Combine remaining ingredients and pour over wings. Bake 1 hour. Serve with mayonnaise, Blue cheese dressing, or Ranch dressing as a dipping sauce.

Crab Dip
Dissolve 1 pkg. gelatin in 3 T. cold water. Blend into 1 can mushroom soup in saucepan. Heat to warm.
Add:
1 c. mayo
6 to 8 oz. fake crab (shredded)
8 oz. cream cheese (softened)
1 c. finely chopped celery
Pour into bowl—put in freezer ½ hour. Unmold. Ready to eat.

Bruschetta
12 slices Italian bread, ½ inch thick
¼ c. olive or vegetable oil
2 medium tomatoes, chopped (1 ½ cups)
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
3 tablespoons chopped fresh basil leaves
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon pepper
1. Heat oven to 375.
2. Place bread slices on ungreased cookie sheet. Drizzle 1 teaspoon oil on each slice bread. Bake about 8 minutes or until golden brown.
3. While bread is toasting, mix remaining ingredients. Spoon tomato mixture onto bread slices. Serve at room temperature

Spinach-Filled Triangles
1 lb. Feta cheese
1 pint cottage cheese
¼ c. Parmesan cheese
1 c. Swiss cheese
4 eggs
10 green onions, chopped
10 ounces fresh spinach, finely chopped (or a 10 oz. package frozen spinach, thawed and drained)
1 teaspoon parsley, minced
1 pound filo pastry
1 pound butter, melted

Step 1
Combine all the cheeses and eggs in a large bowl and mix well. Add onions, spinach and parsley, and blend well.

Step 2
Cut the filo pastry into strips 2 ½ to 3 inches wide (see illustration). Brush each strip with melted butter and then place 1 teaspoon of cheese-spinach mixture on the strip, centered 1 inch from the end. Fold one corner over in a triangle and then continue turning over the triangle to the end of the filo strip (just as in folding a flag). Place each triangle as it is made on a baking sheet. Bake at 350 for 20 to 25 minutes, or until golden brown.

Step 3
When done, remove the triangles from the sheet immediately and serve hot. They may also be rolled, stacked between sheets of wax paper, and frozen in airtight containers. When they are needed, separate them while frozen, place on baking sheet, and bake as directed with about 10 extra minutes of baking time.

Thursday, November 19, 2009

Candy Recipes

First off, a huge thanks to Sister Ridge for her willingness in teaching this class. This class was amazing, Sister Ridge had so much information to share with us, and I know I left with more information than I could’ve hoped for. Before getting into the recipes she gave us, I wanted to share a few tips/notes that I got from her that may be helpful to you when making candy.
1. Use heavy pans. Thin ones will scorch the candy much faster.
2. If you want your candy to taste great, use good ingredients. The higher the quality the better it will be.
3. Do NOT ever get water into melted chocolate. It will ruin your chocolate.
4. You can freeze whipping cream (after refrigerating it for 5 days) as long as you are going to use it for baking/cooking.
We hope will enjoy these recipes and tips from Sister Ridge.

Getting Started
Candy making has its utensils and most of them can be found in the kitchen. You are advised to have the following equipment before starting.
• Candy Thermometer
• 3” wide paint scraper
• Small pastry brush
• Marble slab
(If unable to obtain a marble slab you can use a large glass Pyrex 13½ x 9 – no smaller)

The Thermometer
It takes 212 degrees of heat to cause water to boil at sea level and since no water leaves the batch until it boils, the start of the cook is really the boiling point, and as the consistency of a batch of candy depends on the number of degrees the batch cooks above the boiling point, we must adjust our formulas to the altitude at which we live. The higher the altitude the lighter the air pressure and the lower the temperature of water at the boiling point. The lightness of air at higher altitudes allows the water to escape the batch at a lower temperature. Therefore, when you buy your thermometer put it in cold water, bring the water the water to a rolling boil and note the degree of heat registered, subtract it from 212 degrees, then subtract this difference, whatever it is, from the degree of cook given in each formula in this book. For example, if water boils at 204 degrees at your altitude, then 212-204=8;
236-8=228, which would be the proper temperature to cook candy at such an altitude. Water boils at 1 degree less for every 570 feet above sea level. The recipes in this book are adjusted for 5,000 feet above sea level.


Creamed Fudge
• 3 cups sugar (rounded up)
• 1 Tbs. Karo syrup
• 1 cup whipping cream
• 1 oz. (1/4 cube) butter or margarine.
• ¾ cup chopped walnuts
• ½ tsp. vanilla
• 2 level Tbs. cocoa
Make your marble slab ready, cold and damp. If you pour hot fudge on a dry slab it may cause the batch to grain or go to sugar. Put your sugar and cocoa in a heavy 6 Quart sauce pan, and mix thoroughly before adding the Karo syrup, cream and butter. Stir, mixing all ingredients before placing on medium heat. Bring to a boil and wash down the sides of the pan with a small wet pastry brush. Start at the top and wash all the sugar that sticks to the sides of the pan down into the batch. Fudge may be cooked without stirring after it comes to a boil. Cook to 235 degrees. Pour out onto cold slab. Allow to cool until it is neither warm nor cold (about 15 to 20 minutes). Now the fudge is ready to cream. Use an ordinary 3” to 4” paint scraper, working the batch back and forth on the slab using a stirring method. It takes about 15 minutes to cream fudge. Do not stop stirring once you start. As soon as the fudge starts to thicken on the back of the scraper, add your nuts and flavoring. The colder the batch during the creaming process, the longer it takes to cream, and the smoother and creamier the fudge will be.
Let the fudge relax for 15 minutes then knead it until soft. Divide into 4 or 6 equal parts and make into logs or rolls. Wrap in wax paper and then in foil and store in cool place. Will store for months if kept air tight. Do not wrap candy in Saran Wrap or it will sweat.
*If you do not have a marble slab, pour your candy on a large buttered cookie sheet with sides. Let cool until (15-20 min), then pour into a buttered large glass platter or casserole and stir as directed with scraper.
*This recipe can be doubled if you have a large enough pan and slab.
• 5 cups sugar
• 2 Tbs. Karo syrup
• 2 cups cream
• ½ cube butter
• 4 Tbs. cocoa
• 1 tsp. vanilla

*Fudge Variations
• Vanilla fudge – leave out cocoa
• Coconut – make vanilla and add 1 cup flake coconut during the creaming (good with nuts and coconut)
• Maple Nut – add maple flavoring to vanilla fudge instead of vanilla
• Mint – add ¼ tsp. oil of mint to vanilla fudge.
• Orange – add 1 tsp. orange emulsion to vanilla fudge.
• Black Walnut – add 1 tsp. black walnut flavoring and 1 cup black walnuts to vanilla fudge.
• Candied fruit (dried) to vanilla fudge.

Truffles
• 1½ pounds melted chocolate
• ½ pint of whipping cream
Beat together with 4-5 drops of peppermint. Blend well. Put in plastic lined 8-9 inch square pan. Chill until set.

Peanut Butter Cups
• 2 cups Peanut butter
• 1 package powdered sugar
• 2 cubes margarine
• 1 package graham crackers
Blend: Crush crackers until fine and mix other ingredients. Roll into balls and put on pan covered with wax paper. Chill till hard. Dip in chocolate.

Coated Nuts
• 1 cup sugar
• ½ evaporated milk
• 1 tsp. cinnamon
Mix ingredients and bring just to a boil. Stir in 4 cups of nuts. Dump on waxed paper stirring a few times while drying so the nuts stay coated.

Coconut Mounds
• 1- 14 oz. package coconut fine
• 4½ cups powdered sugar
• 1 cup eagle brand milk
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 2½ nuts (optional)
• ½ cup melted butter
Mix all ingredients together and form balls. Let stand about an hour. Dip in chocolate. To make almond joys, put a whole almond on the top of the balls then dip.
*You can use toasted coconut for more flavor. To toast the coconut spread coconut out on a 13 X 9 pan and cook in a 250-275 degree oven for about 30 minutes (turning halfway) or until browned.

Almond Roca
• 1 cup butter
• 1 cup sugar
• 3 Tbs. water
• 1 tsp. light corn syrup
• 1 cup finely chopped, toasted almonds
• 1 cup milk chocolate chips
Melt butter in a saucepan. Add the sugar, water, corn syrup. Cook over medium heat constantly stirring. When sugar dissolves and mixture boils, raise the heat and bring candy thermometer to 290 (soft stage or as soon as it is the same color as a brown paper bag it is done). If you want nuts in it, quickly stir in ½ cup chopped almonds. Immediately pour the mixture onto an ungreased baking sheet. Wait 2-3 minutes then sprinkle on the chocolate chips. In a few minutes when the chips are softened spread the chocolate evenly over the surface. Sprinkle remaining almonds over the chocolate. When chocolate hardens, crack the candy into pieces. Store covered. Makes 1½ pounds.

Penuche
• 1½ cups brown sugar
• 1½ cups white sugar
• 1 Tbs. Karo
• ¼ cube butter
• 1 cup cream
Follow directions for fudge. Penuche takes a little longer to cream than the fudge.
• This can be used for the center of your pecan log.
• This can be doubled if large enough pan and slab

Pecan Brittle
• 2 cubes butter (must be butter)
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 Tbs. Karo
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 1 cup pecans
Place in heavy sauce pan butter, sugar, Karo and water. Cook over high heat stirring all the time. Wash sides of pan with wet pastry brush.
Cool to a nice brown paper bag color (about 7 min). Remove from heat. Add vanilla and nuts. This candy is very hot, so be careful not to burn yourself with the steam. Pour onto a well-buttered cookie sheet and stretch it a little with the spoon. Let cook and break into pieces. Makes about 2 pounds.

Variations
*This can be used as your English Toffee also. Leave out nuts. Pour brittle out onto cookie sheet and let cool. Break into pieces and dip in melted chocolate and chopped nuts.
*Pecans can be substituted with walnuts, almonds, or skinless peanuts.
*Your brittle can be crushed into small pieces and poured into melted chocolate to make Heath bar clusters.

Caramelized Popcorn
• 3 cups brown sugar
• ¾ cups Karo
• 1 cube butter
Cook over medium heat and bring batch to a boil. Boil 3 to 5 minutes. Remove from heat and pour over popcorn. Pour caramel corn on wax paper. Spread out while cooling.
Popcorn- 8 Quarts popped corn. Make sure you shake all unpopped corn to the bottom of the pan, leaving the unpopped corn in the bottom of the pan.

Opera Cream
• 2 cups sugar
• 1 cup cream
Stir until it dissolves and starts to boil.
Place a candy thermometer in mixture and wash down sides with a candy brush and cold water. Cook to 224 degrees. If you use canned milk instead of cream, cook to 222 degrees. Pour onto wet platter and cool- real cold. Then beat as fondant and knead the same. When soft and pliable add nuts and roll. You can add candied fruits and other flavoring.

Caramels
• 2 cups Karo syrup
• 2 cups sugar
• 3 cups cream
• 1 can sweetened condensed milk
In heavy sauce pan, place your sugar and Karo over medium heat. Stir until sugar melts. Wash sides of pan down with wet pastry brush. Cook for 15 minutes.
Place your cream and sweetened condensed milk in double boiler and place over low heat mixing well after it warms.
After your Karo and sugar have cooked 15 minutes add 1/3 cup cream mixture to that mixture. Mix completely. Cook 5 minutes. Repeat until all your cream has been added. Be very careful when you add your cream to your Karo batch. When you stir it in, it will steam and you can get burned very easily. When the last of the cream has been added place your thermometer in and cook to desired temperature.
Cook to 230 for caramels and 234 for turtles. Add nuts if desired. Pour into well greased 11x13 cake pan. Cool 12 hours before cutting. For suckers 237 degrees.

Turtles
Place two whole pecans on a buttered cookie sheet. Make several piles of 2 pecans each. Spoon 1 Tbs. of caramel over each pile of pecans. Place the pecans far enough apart so caramel will not run into the next pile.

Pecan Log
Take large cookie sheet. Butter well, cover sheet completely with whole pecans. Pour hot caramel over pecans. Let set up. Cut caramel into four equal squares.
Remove squares from pan onto Saran Wrap with nuts next to Saran Wrap.
Take ¼ recipe of creamed penuche for each square of caramel. Stretch or roll penuche on top of caramel square. After this has been done, roll caramel into log. Wrap Saran Wrap around log then foil around that. Store in a cool place.
Do not wrap caramel in foil or waxed paper or it will stick.

Recipes taken from Create Your Own Candy Kitchen by Kay barker

Monday, October 26, 2009

Cooking with Children

The recipes that are being shared are recipes that are kid-friendly. There are elements/techniques in each recipe that children can learn if you, as a parent, will take the time to teach and train how to perform certain tasks in the kitchen.

RUTHIE’S CHOCOLATE FRENCH TOAST with QUICK RASPBERRY SAUCE
(Sara Moulton, Cooks at Home)

6 large eggs
2 cups whole milk
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 TBSP sugar
3 TBSP. unsalted butter
Eight ½ - inch thick slices brioche or egg bread
4 ounces bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, broken into large chunks and finely chopped
1 cup Quick Raspberry Sauce
½ cup fresh raspberries
Several fresh mint springs for garnish

Beat the eggs with the milk, vanilla, sugar and salt in a large shallow dish. Working in 2 batches, melt half of butter in a large nonstick skillet over medium high heat or heat a griddle to medium hot. Dip half the bread slices quickly in the egg mixture until lightly soaked. Transfer to the skillet and sprinkle each slice with one-fourth of the chocolate. Dip the remaining bread in the egg mixture and place on top of the chocolate. Press gently but firmly with a spatula so the slices adhere. Turn down the heat to medium and cook, turning once, until well browned and cooked through, 5 minutes per side. Cut in half on the diagonal and serve on warmed plates. Spoon a small amount of the raspberry sauce around the toast and garnish with whole raspberries and a sprig of mint. Serve the remaining sauce on the side.

QUICK RASPBERRY SAUCE

1 pint fresh raspberries
1 TBSP. fresh lemon juice
½ to ¾ cups powdered sugar

Combine the raspberries, lemon juice and ½ cup powdered sugar in a food processor. Taste and add additional sugar if desired. Process until well blended and strain through a fine mesh strainer.

BREAKFAST TARTS (JoAnna M. Lund, Cooking Healthy with the Kids In Mind)

1 (7.5 – oz.) can Pillsbury refrigerated Buttermilk biscuits
1 full cup finely diced ham
1/3 cup grated Cheddar cheese
4 eggs or equivalent in egg substitute
2 TBSP. milk
½ tsp. lemon pepper
1 tsp. dried parsley flakes

Preheat oven to 400*. Spray 10 wells of a 12-hole muffin pan with butter-flavored cooking spray. Separate biscuits and place each biscuit into a muffin cup, pressing dough up sides to edge of cup. Evenly divide ham and Cheddar cheese among biscuit cups. In a medium bowl, combine eggs, milk, lemon pepper and parsley flakes. Spoon mixture evenly over top. Bake for 10 – 15 minutes or until centers are firm. Place muffin pan on a wire rack and let set for 2 – 3 minutes. Serve at once. Serves 5 (2 each). (Fill extra muffin wells with wire for even baking.)


FOCACCIA BREAD (Adrienne Larson)

Mix together:
2 pkgs. Yeast (or 2 TBSP.)
2 cups warm water
Add:
2 TBSP. Olive oil
1 tsp. Salt
5 - 5 ½ cups flour
2 TBSP. Dried Onions
2 TBSP. Dried Parsley flakes
½ tsp. Crumbled Rosemary
½ tsp. Dried Sage

Mix together and knead 5 minutes till stiff, not sticky. Cover bowl and let raise. Punch down. Break in half. Make two round, flat loaves like pizza dough. Poke with fingers. Brush with ½ cup olive oil INFUSED with 1 - 2 cloves of crushed garlic. Brush pan with oil and garlic mix. Bake at 375* for 30 minutes. Sprinkle on Kosher salt and dried rosemary just before baking.

BREAD STICKS: Divide dough in half; roll each half into 16 BREAD STICKS to make total of 32. (Follow baking instructions for bread.)

NEVER-FAIL YEAST ROLLS (Kayla Gentry, Taste of Home Magazine)

1 pkg. active dry yeast / or 1 TBSP. yeast
1 ½ cups warm water
3 ¼ cups flour
1 pkg. (9 oz.) yellow or white cake mix
½ tsp. salt
Melted butter or margarine

In a large mixing bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water. Beat in the flour, dry cake mix and salt (do not knead). Place in a greased bowl. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1 hour. Punch dough down; divide in half. Roll each portion into a 12-inch circle; cut each circle into 12 wedges. Roll up, beginning at the wide end; place point side down on greased baking sheets. Brush with butter. Cover and let rise until doubled, about 25 minutes. Bake at 350* for 12 – 15 minutes or until golden brown. Yield: 2 dozen rolls.


FRENCH STRING BEANS (Ina Garten, Barefoot Contessa, Episode #IGSP03)

1 pound French string beans, both ends removed Kosher salt 1 red onion, large-diced 1/2 red pepper, large-diced 1/2 yellow pepper, large-diced Good olive oil Freshly ground black pepper
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
Blanch the string beans in a large pot of boiling salted water for just 4 minutes. Drain immediately and immerse in a large bowl of ice water to stop the cooking. When they are cool, drain and set aside.
Meanwhile, in a large bowl toss the onion and bell peppers together with 2 tablespoons of olive oil and sprinkle generously with salt and pepper. Place in a single layer on a baking sheet and roast for about 15 minutes, tossing with a spatula from time to time to be sure the vegetables roast evenly.
Just before serving, reheat the string beans in a large saute pan drizzled with a little olive oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and arrange on a platter. Spoon the roasted vegetables over the string beans and serve hot or at room temperature.

HONEY MUSTARD CHICKEN (Susan Berdahl - Family Fun Magazine, Oct. 98)

1/4 to ½ cup butter, melted
½ cup honey
1/4 cup prepared mustard
1 tsp. Salt
½ - 1 tsp. Curry powder
3 to 4 pounds chicken pieces, such as drumsticks, wings, thighs, and breasts

Preheat the oven to 350*. Combine all ingredients except chicken in bowl. Place the chicken in a shallow baking dish and pour the honey mustard mixture over to coat. Bake for 1 hour, basting occasionally, until the chicken is tender and has a golden glaze. Serves 8 to 12.


PIZZA MEATBALLS (Janet Higgins)

1-1/2 pounds ground beef
1 tsp. Onion powder
1 egg
1 cup Panko bread crumbs (Japanese breadcrumbs; or use Italian Seasoned Bread crumbs)
1-1/2 tsp. freshly chopped garlic
1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
salt and pepper, to taste
Italian seasoning (marjoram, thyme, rosemary, savory, sage, oregano, and basil)
8 ounces mozzarella cheese, cut into 1/4-inch cubes

Preheat oven to 350* degrees. Line a flat baking sheet with parchment paper. In a large bowl add ground beef, onion powder, egg, Panko crumbs, garlic, Worcestershire, salt, pepper, couple dashes of Italian seasoning. Mix thoroughly. Shape into 1-inch balls. Push into the mixture a cube of cheese. Reshape the meatball. Place on lined baking sheet. Do this until all of the meatballs have been formed. Bake in the oven until browned, about 15 to 20 minutes. If the cheese cube that was used is too big it will melt out of the meatball.

In 3-1/2 cups of TRADITIONAL TOMATO SAUCE, add meatballs once they are done cooking. Serve with toothpicks.


PENNE MOZZARELLA PASTA

16 ounces Penne Pasta
2 cups Traditional Italian Tomato Sauce
1/4 pound fresh mozzarella cheese, chilled and cut into small cubes

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add pasta, and cook until al dente, 8 to 10 minutes, or according to package instructions. Remove from heat, drain, and set aside. Meanwhile, in a large sauté pan add Tomato Sauce and simmer until thickened, about 5 minutes. Season to taste. Add the cooked pasta and cubed mozzarella to the sauce, tossing until coated and heated through. Serve immediately. Dish will be stringy with cheese!

OVEN-FRIED CHICKEN WITH ALMONDS (The South Beach Diet Cookbook, pg. 217)

1 cup whole wheat bread crumbs
¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
¼ cup finely chopped almonds
2 TBSP. chopped parsley
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 tsp. salt
¼ tsp. dried thyme
Pinch of black pepper
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts, pounded to ½ “ thickness and cut into 12 pieces
Sprig Italian parsley, for garnish

Preheat oven to 400*. In a medium bowl, combine the bread crumbs, cheese, almonds, parsley, garlic, salt, thyme, and pepper. Mix thoroughly.
Place the oil in a shallow dish. Dip the chicken first in the oil, then dredge in the crumb mixture. Place the chicken in a shallow baking pan.
Bake for 25 minutes, or until a thermometer inserted in the center of a piece registers 170* and the juices run clear. (Do not turn the chicken during cooking.) Garnish with the parsley. Makes 6 servings.


TWO-STEP CRUNCHY CHICKEN STRIPS
(BH&G Magazine, May 2005, pg. 262)

Non-stick cooking spray
2 ½ cups crushed bite-sized cheddar fish-shape crackers or pretzels
Bottled buttermilk ranch salad dressing
1 lb. chicken breast tenderloins

Preheat oven to 425*. Line a 15x10x1 baking pan with foil; lightly coat with cooking spray. Set aside.
In a shallow dish place the crushed crackers. In another shallow dish place the ranch dressing. Dip chicken tenderloins into the ranch dressing, allowing excess to drip off; dip into cracker crumbs to coat. Arrange chicken in prepared pan. Bake for 10 to 15 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink. Serve with additional ranch dressing. Makes 4 to 6 servings.
Quicker version: Use a 10-ounce package of cooked refrigerated chicken breast strips instead of the chicken breast tenderloins. Prepare as above except bake only 5 to 8 minutes or until heated through.


PEANUT BUTTER BLOSSOMS

Sift together:
1-3/4 cup flour
½ tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking soda
Cream together:
½ cup shortening or butter
1/3 cup peanut butter
Add:
½ cup sugar 1 egg
½ cup brown sugar 1 tsp. vanilla

Shape into balls; roll in sugar. Bake on greased cookie sheet for 8 minutes; remove from oven. Place Hershey Candy Kisses in center until cookie cracks around sides. Return to oven; bake from 2 - 5 minutes longer. Bake at 375*. Makes 3 dozen cookies.


CREAMY LEMON PIE (Jell-O)

1 ¾ cups cold milk
2 - 4 oz. pkg. JELL-O Vanilla Flavor Instant Pudding
1 - 6 oz. can frozen lemonade concentrate, thawed
1 tub (8 oz.) COOL WHIP, whipped topping
1 - 9" prepared graham cracker crumb crust
Lemon slices, optional

Pour milk into large bowl. Add pudding mixes. Beat with whisk 30 seconds. Add lemonade concentrate. Beat with wire whisk 30 seconds. (Mixture will be thick) Immediately stir in whipped topping. Spoon into crust.

Refrigerate 4 hours or until set. Garnish with lemon slices, if desired. Store leftover pie in refrigerator. Makes 8 servings. *Can divide filling into 2 pies!

PUPPY CHOW

6 oz. Chocolate chips
½ cup peanut butter
¼ box of Chex or Crispex cereal
1-1/2 cups powdered sugar

Melt chocolate chips and peanut butter in a double boiler on medium low heat. Stir continually so mixture does not burn. (Or you can heat in microwave, 1 minute at a time till melted.) Pour mixture into large bowl. Gradually stir in cereal until it is well covered with chocolate mixture.

Pour powdered sugar into a large plastic bag. Pour cereal mixture (half of it) into the powdered sugar bag. Close bag and shake until coated. Pour coated cereal into large bowl and repeat with second ½ of cereal.

BUTTERY CARMEL CORN - MICROWAVE (Virginia Prestel)
(Adult will need to prepare caramel mixture and pour onto popcorn, but the kids can participate with the shaking and eating!)

1 cup brown sugar 1/4 cup light Karo syrup
1 cube butter or margarine ½ tsp. salt
1 tsp. vanilla ½ tsp. baking soda
16 cups popcorn

Combine sugar, syrup, butter and salt in 2 qt. glass measure or microwave-proof bowl. Cook on High 2 minutes. Stir well. Continue cooking 3 minutes, stirring once or twice. Stir in vanilla and baking soda.

Place popcorn in large brown paper bag, not recycled. Pour mixture over popcorn, fold bag ends and shake well. Cook on High as follows, keeping bag closed:
1 minute - then shake bag
1 minute - shake bag
30 seconds - shake bag
30 seconds - shake bag

Pour onto large piece of foil to cool. Store in airtight container.


STRAWBERRY FOOL
1 lb fresh strawberries 1 cup cold heavy cream 1 TBSP freshly squeezed orange juice 5 TBSP sugar 1/2 cup vanilla yogurt 1. Wash the strawberries with cool running water. Select 3 of your prettiest strawberries to use as decorations; set them aside. Hull the strawberries and cut them in large pieces. Put strawberry pieces in a bowl and mash with a potato masher. Put mashed berries in a strainer set over a bowl and let them drain for 15 minutes. 2. Pour the cream and the orange juice into the bowl of a stand mixer. Using the whisk attachment on the mixer, beat the cream on low speed until it begins to thicken; then increase the speed adding the sugar, and beat until the cream forms stiff peaks. Remove the bowl from the mixer and use a large spoon or rubber spatula to fold in the vanilla yogurt. (You can also whisk the cream by hand or with a hand mixer) 3. Gently fold the drained, mashed strawberries into the cream mixture. Using 6 bowls or pretty glasses, divide the mixture evenly in each container. Chill in the refrigerator until ready to serve. 4. With reserved strawberries, cut each in half from top to bottom. Garnish each serving with a strawberry half, placing it cut side down on top of the fool. Great served with cookies!

*TIP: Chill bowl in freezer before whipping cream.

Mexican Cooking

When making Mexican food, remember, it is all about the flavors. Most Mexican food consists of beans, rice, meat or chicken, tortillas, salsas, onions, peppers, cilantro, tomatoes and cheeses. All of these can be put together to make tacos, enchiladas, burritos or grilled meat of some kind.

STRAWBERRY-MANGO SALSA

1 cup diced strawberries
½ cup diced mango
¼ cup diced yellow bell pepper
2 TBSP. fresh lime juice
1 TBSP. chopped cilantro
1 TBSP. olive oil
1 TBSP. red-wine vinegar
1 tsp. minced jalapeño chile
Salt and pepper to taste

Combine all of the ingredients in a bowl and refrigerate for 1 hour. Serve cold or at room temperature.


ANN'S FRESH SALSA

In blender or food processor blend the following:
2 Roma Tomatoes
½ bunch fresh Cilantro, washed well
½ cup chopped onions
¼ tsp. oregano
2 oz. of diced green chilies
1 tsp. salt
1 TBSP. vinegar
juice of 1 lime
1 - 2 jalapenos (opt.)
½ bunch green onions, sliced
2 - 3 cloves of minced garlic

Add to the following and refrigerate for 30 minutes:
8 Roma Tomatoes, diced
½ bunch sliced green onions
½ cup onions
2 TBSP. diced green chiles

Salt to taste. Chill and serve.

AVOCADO SALSA (Cathy Gomez)

Blend in blender:
1 cup water
2 cloves garlic
Add:
1 bunch of cilantro
2 avocados
2 Serrano chilies
Salt
Juice from ½ of lime

Spoon on tacos or tostadas. Enjoy!


CRANBERRY SALSA (Ann-Marie Harrell)

12 oz. bag Fresh Cranberries*
2 ribs of celery
¼ cup chopped Cilantro
½ tsp. salt
¾ cup sugar
3 TBSP. lime juice
1 small onion
1 jalapeño pepper

In food processor chop cranberries and celery. Pour into bowl; add cilantro, salt, sugar and lime juice. Process onion and pepper in food processor. Fold into cranberry mixture. Cover and chill till ready to serve.
If you want a sweeter version, only add half of onion and pepper mixture, especially if your processor produces a “juicy” result!
*If you don’t have enough fresh cranberries, reconstitute some dried Craisins. It works!


CORN SALSA (Sheila King)

1 can Black-eyed Peas, drained
1 can Corn, drained
2 – 4 green onions, sliced
5 medium tomatoes, diced
2 Avocados, chopped
¼ - ½ cup chopped Cilantro

Combine ingredients and pour prepared package of “GOOD SEASONONGS” Italian Dressing Mix over salsa. Mix well, chill before serving.

CHILI RELLENO CASSEROLE (Alta Wilkins)

2 – 7 oz. cans Ortega Whole Green Chilies
1 can evaporated milk
4 TBSP. Flour
1 - 8 oz. pkg. Longhorn cheese, grated
1 - 8 oz. Pkg. Monterey Jack cheese, grated
6 eggs
1 – 8 oz. can Ortega Green Chile salsa

Beat eggs together, add milk and flour. Beat until well blended. In a 13x9 pan, layer with 1 can of chiles. Cover with ½ cheeses and ½ egg mixture. Repeat. Drizzle salsa over the last egg mixture and bake at 350* for 45 minutes, uncovered.


EL TORITO CEASAR SALAD (Ann-Marie Harrell)

DRESSING:

2 Anaheim Chilies, roasted, seeded and peeled
1/3 cup pepitas, roasted and salted
¼ cup Red Wine Vinegar
2 cloves garlic
1 tsp. salt
¼ tsp. pepper
12 oz. (1 ½ cups) Canola Oil
5 HEAPING TBSP. Cotija cheese, grated
2 small bunches of Cilantro

Blend together, except Cilantro, in blender for 10 seconds. Add washed Cilantro and pulse till chopped.
In separate, medium sized bowl, mix: 1 ½ c ups Mayonnaise and ¼ cup water

Fold in blended chili-cilantro mixture with mayo mixture. Stir ingredients together, but don’t beat it! Cover and Chill.

SALAD:

Romaine Lettuce, chopped or torn Pepitas, roasted and salted
Cotija cheese, grated Tortilla chips, crushed
Tomatoes and Avocados (opt.) Grilled Chicken strips (opt.)

Mix together and pour dressing on top. Enjoy!

CILANTRO AND GREEN CABBAGE SLAW (Bert Hunter)

DRESSING:
½ cup oil
1/3 cup lime juice
1 TBSP. vinegar
2 minced garlic cloves
½ tsp. salt
1 tsp. lemon pepper

SLAW:
1 head green cabbage, finely shredded
¼ cup minced cilantro
¼ cup sliced green onions
1 cucumber, peeled and diced for garnish

To make dressing, combine ingredients in a jar with tight lid. Shake well to mix.
For salad, in a large bowl mix the cabbage and cilantro and toss with the dressing; then mix in the green onions and cucumbers.
For additional punch to slaw, add cojita cheese, chile flakes, sliced red radishes and lime wedges.


SALPICON (Cathy Gomez)

2+ lbs. of beef (chuck roast or Flank for shredding)
3 potatoes
2 carrots
2 lettuce heads
2 TBSP. vinegar
2 TBSP. olive oil
1 lime (small green)
1 onion, sliced
Queso fresco or cotija cheese
1 tomato, sliced
2 avocados
Cook the meat then shred it.
Cut up the potatoes and carrots, cook them just until tender in water, then remove from water.
Cut lettuce.
In a glass bowl, mix all ingredients, reserve some tomato, onion and avocado to garnish. This is accompanied by "tostadas" (fried corn tortillas, or tortilla chips) and a "Chile de Arbol" salsa. (Chile de árbol, is a small thin red pepper, similar to the Japanese red pepper)


CHICKEN ENCHILADAS (Ann-Marie Harrell)

8 - 6" flour tortillas 1 cup sour cream
½ cup chopped, onion 2 cups chicken broth
4 cloves garlic 1- 4 oz. Can, green chilies
1 tsp. Coriander (opt.) 1 cup grated cheese
1/4 tsp. Pepper 1/4 tsp. Salt
2 cups chicken, cubed or shredded Topping:
(approx. 3 - 4 breasts) Olives
2 TBSP. Margarine Tomatoes
3 TBSP. Flour Green onions, sliced

Sauté onion, garlic, coriander, pepper and salt in margarine until tender. Stir in flour into sour cream; add to onion mixture. Stir in broth and green chiles at the same time. Cook and stir till thickened. Remove from heat and add ½ cup grated cheese. Stir in chicken. Grease 8x11 pan. Place about 1/4 cup filling in each tortilla and roll, placing seam down. Top with remaining sauce. Cover and bake at 350* for 30 minutes, or until heated through. Sprinkle remaining cheese and toppings and bake for another 5 minutes, uncovered.


ANN’S GREEN CHILI CHICKEN ENCHILADA’S

2 – 2 ½ cups cooked, shredded chicken 14 – 18 corn tortillas
1 tsp. chili pepper, (to taste) 1 bunch green onions, sliced
¼ tsp. garlic and onion powder, (to taste) 3 cups grated cheese
½ tsp. ground cumin, (to taste) 1 large can sliced olives
28 oz. can Las Palmas Green Enchilada Sauce 2 Roma tomatoes, diced

Preheat oven to 350*. Combine chicken and seasonings. In hot, heated oil, dip tortilla on each side, quickly, then place on plate with paper towels to drain. Healthy choice: Wrap corn tortillas in a cloth and microwave for 1 – 2 minutes.

TO ASSEMBLE: Dip tortillas in Las Palmas Enchilada Sauce. Place tortilla in 9x13 pan to fill; place chicken across middle; sprinkle layer of cheese, about 1 – 2 TBSP.; add a few olive slices and green onions. Roll enchilada, seam side down. After filling, pour remaining sauce (save ¼ cup) over enchiladas evenly. Sprinkle with remaining cheese, and add more if desired. Bake for 20 – 25 minutes. Take out and add remaining green onions, olives and tomatoes; put back in oven for 5 more minutes. Serve with Mexican rice and beans and sour cream. Enjoy!

MEXICAN RICE (Marianne Larsen)

1 cup rice3 TBSP. oil1 tsp. garlic salt½ tsp. cumin¼ cup onion, chopped2 cup chicken broth½ cup tomato sauceBrown the rice in hot oil in a saucepan (about 3 minutes). Add the seasonings and onion and cook a little longer. Add the chicken broth and tomato sauce and mix well. Bring to a boil and then put on LOW heat to keep the rice simmering. Cover with a lid and leave the rice to cook undisturbed for 20-25 minutes. If you stir while it is cooking, you could end up with mush. Once it is done cooking, you can fluff the rice while turning it out into a serving bowl.


MEXICAN RICE (Barbara Nevares)

1/4 cup cooking oil 2 cups rice
1 beef or chicken bouillon 1 - 8 oz. can tomato sauce
1 sliced green onion 4 cups water

Brown rice in oil. Pour water over rice. Pour tomato sauce over rice. Sprinkle green onions and bouillon over rice also. Salt to taste. DO NOT STIR. Let come to boil (3 - 4 minutes). Lower heat and cover; steam until cooked. Rice should be fluffy.


CILANTRO LIME RICE (Dana Adcock)

2 cups rice
4 cups chicken broth
½ tsp. salt
juice of one lime
¼ cup butter
¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro
½ tsp. ground cumin

Combine rice, broth and salt in large saucepan over med-high heat. Bring to a boil. Decrease heat to simmer and add lime juice, butter, cilantro and cumin. Stir, cover and simmer 15 to 20 minutes, until rice is tender.

Serve pork, rice, fresh salsa and lettuce in warm tortillas


SHREDDED PORK (Dana Adcock)

3-4 lb. cheap pork roast (even bone-in is fine)
3-4 TBSP. Montreal Steak Seasoning
2-3 oranges
½ jalapeno
8 whole cloves
2-3 garlic cloves, sliced
1 lime

Put pork in crock pot. Sprinkle with seasoning. Cut oranges in half and juice into crock pot, then put orange halves in crock pot, too.
Add jalapeno, chopped, cloves and garlic. Cook all day on low. Shred pork. Strain juices and put in skillet. Heat juices over med-high heat to reduce a bit. Squeeze in juice of 1/2 lime. Add shredded pork to juices and stir. Squeeze remaining lime juice, stir and serve.
Serve with Cilantro-Lime Rice. Enjoy!


TORTA de CALABAZA (Karen Hursh, Cookbook author)

This is a hearty side dish or a good light lunch or supper entrée. It is also great on a buffet table, since it can be successfully served at room temperature.

1 pound tender squash, cut into small pieces 1/8 inch thick
2 TBSP. butter
½ medium white or yellow onion, cut into thin crescents
2 poblano chiles, roasted, seeded and peeled, cut or torn into strips
¼ cup finely chopped fresh cilantro
Salt and pepper to taste
¾ cup Mexican crema or sour cream
6 corn tortillas, lightly fried in vegetable oil but remaining soft, drained
1 cup grated manchego, jack or Gouda cheese
2 eggs

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease 8-inch square baking dish.
Cook the squash in boiling salted water until crisp-tender. Drain well and cool.
Melt the butter in a medium size skillet, sauté the onion until soft, and add the chiles and tomatoes. Cook until the juice from the tomatoes has evaporated, and stir in the drained squash and the cilantro.
Add salt and pepper to taste. Remove from the heat, add the sour cream and mix well.
Place three tortillas on the bottom of the baking dish, arranging them to cover as much of the bottom of the dish as possible. Top with half the squash and cream mixture, then half the grated cheese. Repeat the layers with the remaining tortillas, squash mixture and cheese. Best the eggs very well and pour over all.
Bake for 30 minutes. Allow to set for 15-20 minutes before serving. Serves 6 as a side dish; 4 as a vegetarian main course.

SPICY SHREDDED PORK (www.thepioneerwoman.com)

4 -7 pound Pork shoulder 1 tsp. ground cumin
1 onion 1 – 2 TBSP. salt
1 tsp. Chili Powder pepper
¼ cup brown sugar 1 - 2 TBSP. Olive Oil
3 - 4 garlic cloves 2 – 2 TBSP. white wine vinegar
1 tsp. dried oregano Lime wedges

Rinse and pat dry the pork shoulder.

To begin, just throw the dried oregano, cumin, chili powder, salt and black pepper to taste, the white wine vinegar and brown sugar into a food processor or blender. Cut one onion into quarters and put it in the food processor with the spices. Blend mixture until totally combined and then pour it over the pork shoulder.

Now rub it into every nook and cranny of the meat, tucking it under folds and in crevices. Let no stone go unturned. Then place the pork into a roasting pan or Dutch oven and add two cups of water. Cover tightly and roast pork at 300 degrees for several hours, turning once every hour. When it is fork tender, crank up the heat, remove the lid, and roast it, skin side up, for another 15 – 20 minutes to get the skin crispy. When it’s done let it rest for 15 minutes before shredding.

Shred the pork shoulder (two forks work well). When it’s all shredded be sure to pour the juices all over the meat. Serve with warm tortillas, lime wedges, sour cream, pico de gallo, guacamole, and tomatillo salsa…whatever makes your skirt fly up!

(Meat can be frozen to be used later)

CAFÉ RIO PORK SALAD

Pork Roast: Put roasts in crock pot and fill with water half way up the roasts. Cook for 10-12 hours on low. Drain water and shred. Mix all other ingredients and pour over roast. Cook on low 4-6 hours.

Two 3 lb. pork roasts
1 - 12 oz. bottle taco sauce
½ TBSP. cumin
1 cup brown sugar
1 - 20 oz. Dr. Pepper

Rice: Heat water to boil. Add all ingredients and cook for 20 minutes.

4 c. water
4 chicken bouillon cubes
1 TBSP. cumin
2 cloves garlic, chopped
6 chopped green onions
1 TBSP. butter
6 sprigs cilantro, chopped
2 cups rice

Dressing: Blend well in food processor or blender until smooth.
1 cup mayo
1 cup cilantro (trim stems off)
¼ tsp. cayenne pepper
1 pkg. Hidden Valley Ranch DIP
1/3 - ½ cup buttermilk
3 tomatillos (take off husk and quarter)

Order: Tortillas, pork, rice, beans, lettuce, dressing, tortilla strips.

ROLLED TACOS

Meat: Use any leftover roast beef, shredded. Or use a can of roast beef, drained, then add some instant potatoes to give it volume. Or cook slowly a chuck roast or rump roast, then cool and shred.

Dip your corn tortillas in hot oil for a few seconds to soften; then place on paper towels. While warm, spread a line of shredded meat at edge of tortilla then roll and secure with a toothpick. Fry in hot oil. Drain on paper towels and salt immediately. Enjoy them with salsa, bean dip or guacamole.

CHIMICHANGAS (Jane Wright - Matta's Restaurant, Mesa, AZ)

MEAT:
3 lbs. roast. You can use any shredded beef or leftover roast.
If using uncooked meat, prepare this way:
Cover with water; boil slowly over low heat for several hours, till tender. Season with salt, pepper, onion salt, and garlic salt. Save broth to be used with Chimi Sauce. Cool meat and shred with fingers.

SAUCE: For meat -in frying pan, melt 3/4 cup Lard or Crisco. Add ½ cup flour. It will brown a little. Then add:
3 diced white onions
2 chopped bunches of green onions
3 diced tomatoes
4 - 3 oz. cans diced green chiles
1 tsp. each: salt, pepper, garlic powder, and onion salt
2 tsp. oregano
2 tsp. cumin

Sauté over medium heat for 5 minutes. Take ½ of mixture and add to meat. Season again with cumin, oregano, onion salt, garlic powder, salt and pepper to taste. Put meat on large flour tortilla and roll. Hold with toothpick before frying. Heat oil and deep fry until golden brown, approx. 1 -2 minutes. Serve with Chimi Sauce, guacamole and sour cream.

For HEALTHY VERSION: Heat chimichangas in microwave, then spray with vegetable spray; place on cookie and bake in 400* oven until crispy. Turn chimis over as they become crispy.
(Chimichangas can be frozen, then thawed before cooking. Yield about 12 - 18 large Chimichangas)

CHIMI SAUCE:
Add to the rest of the onion mixture in a frying pan:
2-1/2 cups Beef broth
1 cup tomato puree or paste

Cook slowly and thicken with more flour in necessary. (To thicken, take part of hot mixture from pan and stir in flour to prevent lumps. If too thick, add more broth.) If needed, season to taste with salt, pepper and seasonings.
This mixture can be poured over hot chips and melted cheese to make nachos, or alone for dip.


CARNE ASADA (Rick - the Contractor’s Caterer)

Slice into thin layers Chuck Steak, Top Sirloin or any other meat. In box that has been lined with plastic, dip meat into a Beef Broth with Worchester Sauce, season with seasoning salt, cumin, orange slices and onions slices and layer sliced meat in box. Tie plastic bag shut and marinate overnight until ready to grill.

Grill and slice meat. Grill oranges, onions, green onions and peppers for tortillas.

CHILI CHIMIS (Shirley Calhoun)

5 - 6 lb. Roast. The cheapest cut (boneless chuck) works best.
Brown in 1 TBSP. Oil, then put in Crock Pot.
Pour on top of meat:
3 - 4 oz. cans of diced green chilies
1 whole onion, chopped
1 - 15 oz. can tomatoes, peeled, diced
about 1 cup of water
4 beef bouillon cubes

Cook all day in, can turn meat over, until meat falls apart. Take meat out and shred meat, throwing away fat. Put meat back in pot with juices.

Add to mixture for YOUR taste:
3 - 4 oz. cans of diced green chilies
1 - 2 more 14 oz. Cans of tomatoes, peeled, diced and drained
½ onion, sauted in butter (before adding)

If mixture is too wet, thicken juices with cornstarch. Use meat mixture to make burritos, rolled tacos or chimichangas or following casserole. Can freeze meat and thaw for later use.


CHILI CHIMI CASSEROLE (Shirley Calhoun)

Layer ingredients as follows, how much depends on how large you make your casserole. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 - 40 minutes.

Las Palmas Green Chili Salsa
Chili Chimi Meat mixture
corn tortillas, softened in oil
grated Jack and Cheddar cheese
sour cream in globs

Breadmaking with Whole Grains

GLUTEN
Gluten is a composite of the proteins gliadin and glutenin
More gluten/Protein for use in Pizza doughs and bagels
Less gluten/protein for use in cakes and pastries.

WHEAT
Hard wheat produces a High gluten flour, or bread flour, and it has a certain toughness that holds its shape well once baked.
Soft wheat produces a Low gluten flour, or cake and pastry flour, that produces a fine texture.

FLOURS (from Highest to Lowest Gluten content)
Bread flour = high gluten content. Holds shape well after baking.
All purpose flour = either a blend of hard wheat or soft wheat. Check the labels, every brand is different.
Pastry flour = low gluten content. Good for muffins, biscuits and other quick breads
Cake flour = very low gluten content. Great for cookies and cakes. Very fine texture.
Bleached flour = treated with oxidizing agents to whiten it.

FLAX SEED
Flax seeds contain high levels of fiber, lignans and Omega-3 fatty acids. This benefits the heart and may also lessen the severity of diabetes by stabilizing blood-sugar levels.
Can be purchased at the local grocery store in the flour isle. I buy Bob’s Red Mill brand at Wal-Mart.


YEAST
Yeast is a leavening agent.
Proofing = when a solution of water and sugar is combined with yeast. Active yeast will foam and bubble as it ferments the sugar into ethanol and carbon dioxide. This gives “proof” that the yeast is good.
Some bread doughs are knocked back after one rising and left to rise again. A longer rising time gives a better flavor, but the yeast can fail to raise the bread in the final stages if it is left for too long initially.


Quick and easy dough recipe: Great for bread sticks, pizza dough, hamburger buns, etc.
(From Kelly Nordfelt)
3 ½ - 4 c. flour
1 tsp salt
2 T. sugar
1 ½ c. very warm water
1 packet (2 ½ tsp) yeast
1 tsp. sugar

Mix 1 t. sugar and 2 ½ t. yeast in the very warm water. Stir and let sit until bubbly.
In a mixing bowl add flour, salt, and sugar. Mix until blended. When yeast mixture is ready, turn on mixer and dump in. Let mix for 5 minutes, or until ready. Let sit for 20 minutes. Take out, shape and let rise for one hour. Bake at 350° for 15-18 minutes, or until golden brown.

Quick and easy dough recipe with whole wheat and flax seed
(From Kelly Nordfelt)
1 ½ c. Whole Wheat flour
2 c. white flour
¼ c. ground flax seed
1 tsp. salt
2 T. sugar
1 ½ c. very warm water
1 packet (2 ½ tsp) yeast
1 tsp. sugar

Follow instructions above.

Information found on Wikipedia

EZ Wheat Bread Recipe (Amy Albach's recipe from http://everydayfoodstorage.net)
1 loaf: 2 loaves:
1-1/4 c. warm water 2-1/2 c. warm water
1 T. active dry yeast 2 T. active dry yeast
1/4 c. honey or 1/3 c. sugar 1/2 c. honey or 2/3 c. sugar
2-3/4 c. hard white wheat flour (or any combination you like) 5-1/2 c. whole wheat flour
1/4 c. wheat gluten 1/2 c. wheat gluten
1 t. salt 2 t. salt
2 T. nonfat non-instant dry milk 4 T. nonfat non-instant dry milk
1 T oil/butter/margarine 2 T. oil/butter/margarine
1 T. vinegar 2 T. vinegar
1/4 c. potato flakes (NOT potato pearls) 1/2 c. potato flakes

Mix ingredients in order listed in mixing bowl of mixer with dough hook attachment (like kitchen-aid) for 12-15 minutes. Let rise until double, 1-1/2 hours. Punch down, and shape into loaf or rolls. Let rise again until double and bake at 375 for 10-30 minutes until golden brown and sounds hollow when lightly tapped.

If you are making this recipe in a bread machine, follow your bread machine's directions for wheat or whole grain selection and add the ingredients in the order listed for their recommendations. (Only one loaf will fit in a bread maker.

100% Whole Wheat Bread (made with RED WHEAT from food storage)

To start...
3 Tablespoons yeast
4 cups warm water
4 cups hard red wheat flour (or any combination you like)

Mix these ingredients together and let sit until double. (Usually 15-30 minutes) This step is called a sponge and is very important to allow the yeast to get a head start.

Add...
1/2 cup oil or butter
2/3 cup honey or molasses
3 teaspoons salt
6-8 cups hard red wheat flour

Mix this together and knead for 15-20 minutes if kneading by hand. Place dough in oiled bowl and let rise again until double (about 30 minutes). Punch down and shape into loaf pans. Cover and let rise until double (30 minutes). Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Oil top of bread for a nice shiny crust.

MUFFIN BREAD (from Ann Packard)
5 ½ cups warm water
3 pkgs. yeast
1 TBSP salt
3 TBSP sugar
11 cups flour
cornmeal

Stir yeast and sugar into the warm water in a large bowl and let stand for a few minutes until yeast is ready. Mix the salt into 7 cups of the flour. Using a wooden spoon, stir these 7 cups of flour into the yeast mixture. Then add remaining flour and mix well. Do all of the mixing by hand. Do not use an electric mixer. It will be a very sticky dough. Make sure the bowl is large enough that the dough can rise until doubled in bulk. Cover the bowl.
When the dough has doubled, stir it down and spoon into 4 well greased loaf pans. Sprinkle loaf pans with cornmeal before putting dough into them and then sprinkle tops with cornmeal. Cover with a dish towel until the dough gets within about an inch from the top of the pan, then remove the towel as the dough will stick to it.
When the dough is crowning the top of the pans, put them in a 350 degree oven and bake for 30 minutes. Check the bread at that time to see if it is getting brown on top. If not, brush it with a little milk or shortening to help it brown. Bake it an additional 10 - 15 minutes. It usually takes the bread about 40- 45 minutes to get done. Remove from pans immediately.

WHOLE WHEAT HONEY (from Ann Packard)

Mix with blender in large bowl, or mix in Bosch:
1 cup powdered milk
4 tsp. salt
2/3 cup oil
2/3 cup honey
4 cups whole wheat flour
5 cups hot water
3 TBSP. yeast
½ cup gluten powder (opt.)

Add: 6 cups white or wheat flour and any additional flour

Knead 10 minutes; let rise until doubled; punch down and shape into loaves; let rise then bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.

Yields 4 - 4x9 loaves; or 6 - 3 ½ x 7 loaves.

Dining for 2 or Dining Alone

MATT’S GREEK CHICKEN (Matt Della Vedova)

3 – 4 Chicken Breasts with bones, skinless This recipe is DELICIOUS!
1 pkg. (10 oz.) frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained
1 pkg. Garlic Herbed Feta Cheese
4 TBSP. olive oil
Garlic powder
Oregano
Parmesan Cheese
2 strips of bacon
½ cup Dry White Wine, or non-alcoholic substitution

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Make a pocket in chicken between breast and bone. Combine spinach and Feta (crumble Feta); stuff into pockets. Save any remaining spinach and cheese mixture.
Put stuffed breasts in casserole dish; rub breasts with oil. Sprinkle with garlic powder (liberally!), oregano and Parmesan cheese. Lay remaining spinach and cheese mixture between chicken. Cover each breast with ½ bacon strip. Sprinkle dry white wine over chicken. Bake uncovered for about 35 minutes.


MEXICAN CHICKEN (Matt Della Vedova)

1 pkg. Of Chicken thighs (6)
3 TBSP. Olive oil
½ medium onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, chopped
1 large jar (14 – 16 oz.) of your Favorite Salsa

Sauté’ onions and garlic in oil. When onions are transparent, add chicken and sauté’ until browned (about 15 minutes). Add salsa and simmer for about 20 – 25 minutes. Serves 2.


BAR‑B‑QUE SAUCE (Fay Curtis)

14 oz. (or 2 cups) ketchup
4 TBSP. (or ¼ cup) Worcestershire sauce
4 TBSP. (or ¼ cup) vinegar
2 tsp. salt
½ tsp. pepper
1-1/2 cup water
½ cup chopped onion
½ cup brown sugar
1 - 2 TBSP. Smoke flavoring, opt.

Combine all ingredients. Simmer for 30 minutes. Pour over chicken and bake at 350* for about 60 - 70 minutes. Or you can use Crock Pot; pour sauce over chicken, cover and cook on slow all day. *Can also pour sauce over country style pork ribs, cover and bake at 300* for 3 hours (very tender).

CREAMY RANCH CHICKEN
Robin Marchand, Apex, N.C. – BH&G Magazine, Mar. 2006.
Prize-tested recipes in the Kid-Pleasing Chicken Entrees category.

6 slices bacon
4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves, cut into bite-size pieces
2 TBSP. flour
2 TBSP. Ranch dry salad dressing mix
1 ¼ cups whole milk
3 cups dried medium noodles
1 TBSP. finely shredded Parmesan Cheese

Cut bacon into narrow strips. In a large skillet cook bacon over medium heat until crisp. Crain bacon on paper towels; discard all but 2 TBSP drippings.
In the same skillet cook chicken in reserved drippings until tender and no longer pink, turning to brown evenly. Sprinkle flour and salad dressing mix over the chicken in the skillet; stir well. Stir in milk. Cook and stir until thickened and bubbly. Cook and stir for 1 minute more. Stir in bacon. Meanwhile, cook noodles according to package directions. Serve chicken with noodles; sprinkle with Parmesan. Makes 4 servings.

(Side note: I didn’t have bacon, but did have bacon drippings, and precooked “real” bacon bits, which tasted great. I sprinkled the dish with sliced green onions. This would even taste great if mushrooms and/or sun-dried tomatoes were added. Also, if it seems a little thick, add a bit more milk for a creamier texture. )


STUFFED CHICKEN BREASTS (Katherine Suter, Taste of Home Magazine)

¾ cup chopped tart apple
½ cup finely chopped fully cooked ham
¼ cup chopped fresh mushrooms
¼ cup chopped red onion
2 TBSP. vegetable oil, divided
2 TBSP. Dijon mustard
1/3 cup dried bread crumbs
¼ tsp. lemon-pepper seasoning
2 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts halves
2 TBSP. flour

In a small saucepan, sauté the apple, ham, mushrooms and onion in 1 TBSP. oil until onion and apple are tender. Stir in mustard, bread crumbs and lemon-pepper. Flatten chicken breasts to ¼ “ thickness; top each with the apple mixture. Roll up and secure with toothpicks. Coat with flour.
In skillet, brown chicken in remaining oil. Place in an 8-in. square baking dish. Bake uncovered, at 350* for 20 – 30 minutes or until juices run clear. Discard toothpicks. Yield: 2 servings.

CHICKEN POT PIE (Judy Denny)

1 ½ cups frozen mixed veggies
2 refrigerated pie crusts
1 can cream of chicken soup
½ cup milk
2 cups chopped cooked chicken or Turkey
(Options: canned chicken from Costco; chicken breasts cooked in Crockpot, cooled and cut up)
½ tsp. salt
½ tsp. black pepper

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Defrost the veggies. Cut 2 pie crusts into quarters, to yield 8 equal pieces. Coat the inside of 4 small aluminum foil pans (individual pot pie sizes) or 4 ramekins with butter flavored cooking spray. Line the bottom of each pan with a quarter of the crust, molding it with your fingers to fit. In a large bowl, stir together the soup and milk. Add the remaining ingredients. Spoon mixture into each pan (don't fill too full, but full enough to make the top crust fit well). Top each with a pie crust quarter. Pinch the edges together and cut vents in the top. Place on a baking sheet and bake for 35 minutes until golden brown on top.

FOR FUTURE: you can double the recipe, make several more, and freeze the unbaked pies in the freezer for future baking. After freezing, thaw them out for a time before baking.


BEEF PAPRIKA (Nancy Nielsen, Taste of Home Magazine, Nov. 2002)

¾ lb. beef stew meat, cut unto ¾ -inch cubes
2 tsp. vegetable oil
1 small onion, thinly sliced
1 garlic clove, minced
¾ cup water, divided
¼ cup ketchup
1 tsp. brown sugar
¾ tsp. paprika
¾ tsp. Worcestershire sauce
½ tsp. salt
¼ tsp. Dijon mustard
Dash cayenne pepper
1 TBSP. flour
Hot Cooked Noodles

In a large saucepan, brown beef in oil on all sides. Add onion and garlic; cook until onion is tender. Add ½ cup of water, ketchup, brown sugar, paprika, Worcestershire sauce, salt, mustard and cayenne; mix well. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover securely and simmer for 40 – 50 minutes or until beef is tender.
Combine flour and remaining water until smooth; gradually stir into stew. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Serve over noodles. Yield: 2 servings.

AUSSIE CHICKEN (Sue Sheppard)

4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves Make Sauce ahead of time and save.
2 tsp. seasoning salt For easier preparation, or for just
6 slices bacon, cut in half serving one or two; use prepared
½ cup prepared mustard bacon bits, and brown chicken with
½ cup honey bacon drippings or small amount of
¼ cup light corn syrup oil.
¼ cup mayonnaise
1 TBSP. dried onion flakes
1 TBSP. vegetable oil
1 cup sliced mushrooms
2 cups grated Colby-Monterey Jack cheese
2 TBSP. chopped parsley

Pound chicken breasts to ½ - inch thickness, then rub with seasoning salt; cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes. Preheat oven to 350* degrees. Place bacon in large, deep skillet and cook over medium high heat until crisp. Set aside. In a medium bowl, combine mustard, honey, corn syrup, mayonnaise and dried onion flakes. Remove half the sauce, cover and refrigerate to serve later. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Place chicken in the skillet and sauté for 3 – 5 minutes per side, or until browned. Remove from skillet and place the chicken into a 9x13 baking dish. Apply the honey mustard sauce to each breast, then layer with mushrooms and bacon. Sprinkle cheese over the top. Bake in preheated oven for 15 minutes or until cheese is melted and chicken juices run clear. Garnish with parsley and serve with the reserved honey mustard sauce.


CHICKEN FRIED RICE (Bonnie Packard)

1 ½ cups diced cooked chicken
2 TBSP. Soy Sauce
1 cup uncooked long-grain rice
¼ cup oil
2 ½ cups chicken broth
½ cup finely chopped onion
¼ cup thinly sliced celery
2 slightly beaten eggs
1 cup finely shredded lettuce

Combine chicken, soy sauce. Let stand. Cook rice in hot oil in skillet over medium heat till golden brown, stirring frequently.
Reduce heat, add chicken mixture and broth. Simmer, covered 15-20 minutes, or till rice is tender. Remove cover last few minutes. Stir in onion and celery. Cook uncovered, over medium heat until liquid is absorbed. Push rice mixture to sides of skillet. Add eggs; cook till almost set; blend into rice. Stir in lettuce; serve at once with soy sauce. Serves 6, or 3 hungry people!!!


CHICKEN ENCHILADAS
(Judy Denny)

4-5 Flour Tortillas
2 Chicken Breasts
Green Pepper, chopped
2 cans Cr. Of Chicken Soup
Grated Cheddar Cheese

Cube Chicken and pan fry in a little Olive Oil with chopped green pepper. Mix soup with a little milk and mix a little in with the chicken mixture. Put some of chicken mixture in each of the 4-5 tortillas, roll up and put seam side down in 8x8 square pan. Put some chicken soup mixture in bottom of pan first. Pour rest of chicken soup over the chicken enchiladas, sprinkle with grated cheddar cheese. Bake at 350 degrees 20-30 min. Serve over rice.


PEANUT BUTTER CHICKEN SKEWERS
(Jeanne Bennett, Taste of Home Magazine, May 1997)

½ cup creamy peanut butter
½ cup water
¼ cup soy sauce
4 garlic cloves, minced
3 TBSP. lemon juice
2 TBSP. brown sugar
¾ tsp. ground ginger
½ tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
2 cups shredded red cabbage
Sliced green onion tops

In a sauce pan, combine the first eight ingredients; cook and stir over medium-high heat for 5 minutes or until smooth. Reserve half of the sauce. Slice chicken lengthwise into 1-in. strips; thread onto skewers (if using bamboo skewers, soak them in water for at least 20 minutes). Grill uncovered over medium-hot coals for 2 minutes; turn and brush with peanut butter sauce. Continue turning and basting for 4 – 6 minutes or until juices run clear. Place cabbage on a serving plate; top with chicken. Sprinkle with green onions. Serve with reserved sauce. Yield: 4 servings.


TIME TO SPARE SPUDS (Dorothy Bateman, Taste of Home Magazine)

6 large potatoes, baked
1 cup sour cream
1 cup (4 oz.) shredded cheddar cheese
1 green onion
¼ cup milk
2 TBSP. butter or margarine, melted
1 TBSP. chopped fresh parsley
1 tsp. salt
Additional melted butter or margarine

Cut hot potatoes in half lengthwise; carefully scoop out pulp, leaving a thin shell. In a bowl, mash pulp until smooth. Beat in sour cream, cheese, onion, milk, butter, parsley and salt. Fill shells; brush with butter. Cover and refrigerate. Wrap shells individually in plastic wrap; place in freezer containers. Freeze. To serve, thaw and place in an ungreased shallow baking dish. Bake uncovered, at 400* for 20-25 minutes or until golden and heated through. It can be frozen for up to 1 month. Yield: 12 servings.


TORIE’S EASY-AWESOME BREAD STICKS (Torie Johnson)

3 cups flour
½ tsp salt
2 TBSP. sugar
1 TBSP. yeast
1 ½ cups warm water
1 cube butter or margarine
Garlic SALT
Parmesan Cheese

Mix salt, sugar, yeast and water together. Add flour; knead lightly. Cover and let rest 10 minutes. While dough is resting, melt butter in a 9x13, or 10x15 pan. Divide dough into 18 balls. Shape dough into cigar shapes. Place in pan and roll in butter. Sprinkle with garlic salt and parmesan cheese. Bake 20 minutes at 375*.


QUICK DINNER ROLLS (Bobbie Brooks)

Mix well and let rise for 10 minutes:
1 ¾ cups warm water
½ cup oil
1/3 cup sugar
3 TBSP. dry active yeast
Add the following:
1 ½ tsp. salt
2 eggs
5 – 6 cups flour
Mix and knead; let rise 10 minutes. Shape and put in greased pans. Let rise. Bake at 375* for 15 -18 minutes.


NEVER-FAIL YEAST ROLLS (Kayla Gentry, Taste of Home Magazine)

1 pkg. active dry yeast / or 1 TBSP. yeast
1 ½ cups warm water
3 ¼ cups flour
1 pkg. (9 oz.) yellow or white cake mix
½ tsp. salt
Melted butter or margarine

In a large mixing bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water. Beat in the flour, dry cake mix and salt (do not knead). Place in a greased bowl. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1 hour. Punch dough down; divide in half. Roll each portion into a 12-inch circle; cut each circle into 12 wedges. Roll up, beginning at the wide end; place point side down on greased baking sheets. Brush with butter. Cover and let rise until doubled, about 25 minutes. Bake at 350* for 12 – 15 minutes or until golden brown. Yield: 2 dozen rolls.


LAYERED PUDDING DESSERT (Taste of Home Magazine)

1 cup crushed vanilla waters, divided
1 pkg. (3 oz.) cook-and-serve vanilla pudding mix
2 medium bananas, divided
1 pkg. (3 oz.) strawberry Jell-O
1 cup whipped topping

Spread half of the crushed wafers in the bottom of a greased 8-in. square pan. Prepare pudding mix according to package directions; spoon hot pudding over wafer crumbs. Slice one banana; place over pudding. Top with remaining crumbs. Chill for 1 hour. Meanwhile, prepare Jell-O according to package directions; chill for 30 minutes or until partially set. Pour over crumbs. Slice the remaining banana and place over Jell-O. Spread whipped topping over all. Chill for 2 hours. Yield: 9 servings.


FUDGY BUTTONS (Taste of Home Magazine)

2 TBSP. butter
1 ½ tsp. cocoa
½ cup powdered sugar
½ tsp. milk
2 TBSP. creamy peanut butter

In a small saucepan, melt butter; remove from heat. Add cocoa and mix well. Stir in sugar. Add milk and stir until smooth. Add peanut butter and mix well. Drop by teaspoons onto wax paper; flatten tops and shape into 1 inch patties. Yield: 1 ½ dozen.

Thursday, October 22, 2009

Soup Class Recipes

Thanks to Ann and Robin for putting together such a wonderful class. I know that left with a lot of useful information that I will be applying to my future soup making. For those of you who could not go but still wanted the recipe's here ya go. Enjoy and happy soup making.

ROUX (Robin Shumway)
3 lbs. margarine
6 cups flour

Melt margarine in a pot, then put in refrigerator and let harden. When margarine is hard, poke a hole in it and drain off all liquid. Put hardened margarine in microwave and melt. Pour into a 9x13 pan and stir in flour and cook in oven at 350˚ degrees for about 35 minutes, stirring occasionally. You can store roux in refrigerator or freezer, either in plastic containers or plastic bags. This will keep for up to 6 months.

SHIRLEY’S CHICKEN NOODLE SOUP (Robin Shumway)

4 cups uncooked noodles
¼ cup margarine
1 ½ cups diced onion
2 cups sliced celery
3 cups sliced carrots
1 bunch chopped green onions
1 gallon water (4 qts. = 16 cups)
¼ cup chicken base
3 cups cooked chicken or turkey (cubed or shredded)
1 TBSP. dried parsley
1 tsp. pepper
1 ½ cups roux

Put uncooked noodles in small soup kettle, cover with water and 1 TBSP. oil; bring to boil, then turn off and let noodles sit in water until al dente; drain. Melt margarine in 6 – 8 qt. Dutch oven; add onions, celery, carrots, green onions and sauté for about 10 minutes. Add water and chicken base; bring to a boil and cook about 10 minutes until carrots are soft. Add roux (soften in microwave), cook over medium heat until thickened or to proper consistency. Then add cooked chicken, cooked noodles, parsley and pepper. Salt to taste.


ONION - CHEESE SOUP (Linda Hunter)

2 medium sweet Spanish onions
2 TBSP. Butter or Margarine
¼ cup flour
6 cups chicken or beef broth
4 cups diced potatoes
2 cups grated cheddar cheese

Peel and slice onions, 1/4 inch thick. Spread into rings. Heat butter in large sauce pan or Dutch oven. Add onions and sauté until lightly browned. Add flour and stir. Add broth gradually, bringing to boil. Add potatoes. Cover and simmer for 20 minutes or until potatoes or done. *Mash potatoes into broth. Remove from heat. Stir in cheese. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serves 6-8.

*To disguise the appearance of onions, remove from heat and blend with hand blender or food processor, then add cheese! Great soup when it is cold or someone has been sick and needs a calming soup.

SHIRLEY’S BOSTON CLAM CHOWDER (Robin Shumway)

½ cup roux
½ cup diced onions
½ cup diced celery
4 cups milk
3 cup diced potatoes
2 cups half & half
¼ cup clam base (substitute chicken)
½ cup minced clams
¼ tsp. thyme
1 tsp. parsley

Put roux in pot (heat on low). Slice onions and celery and sauté in roux for a few minutes, while stirring. Add 4 cups milk and bring to a boil. Add the potatoes and clam base. Cook until potatoes are soft. Heat the half and half and pour in the mixture and add minced clams. Sprinkle with thyme and chopped parsley if desired.

SHIRLEY’S POTATO CHEESE SOUP (Robin Shumway)

1 cube margarine
¾ cup diced onions
1 bunch green onions
1 chopped green bell pepper
1 cup diced celery
1 cup diced carrots
¼ cup chicken base
4 cups cubed potatoes
3 quarts water
2 cups potato pearls or flakes
½ - 1 cup roux
1 ¼ lb. (thick) shredded cheddar cheese
1 tsp. ground mustard
1 TBSP. Worchester sauce
½ tsp. Tabasco
1 tsp. white pepper
Salt to taste
Whole milk

Sauté onions (both kinds) in margarine and add bell pepper, celery, carrots, chicken base, seasonings, potatoes, and water and cook until potatoes are soft. Soften roux in microwave then add to soup. Add potato pearls/flakes and cheese. Slowly add warmed milk to get proper consistency.


SHIRLEY’S CREAM OF BROCCOLI - BROCCOLI CHEESE SOUP (Robin Shumway)

1 cube margarine
¾ cup diced onions
1 bunch green onions
1 cup diced celery
¼ cup chicken base
3 quarts water
½ - 1 cup roux
1 ¼ lb. (thick) shredded cheddar cheese (opt.)
1 tsp. ground mustard
1 TBSP. Worchester sauce
½ tsp. Tabasco
1 tsp. white pepper
Salt to taste
4-5 cups fresh/frozen broccoli (cook in microwave as desired)
Whole milk

Sauté onions (both kinds) in margarine and add celery, chicken base, seasonings; add water and cook until blended. Soften roux in microwave and add to soup. Add cooked broccoli (and optional cheese) and stir. Add warmed milk to get proper consistency. Ready to serve!


SHIRLEY’S VEGETABLE BEEF BARLEY SOUP (Robin Shumway)

½ cup barley
1 lb. cubed beef
1 cup diced onions
1 - 28 oz diced tomatoes
1 - 6 oz can tomato paste
3 cups sliced carrots
2 cups sliced celery
1 ½ cups sliced cabbage
2 cups potatoes
1 TBSP. sugar
1 tsp. pepper
1 TBSP. parsley flakes
3 quarts water
1/3 cup beef base
Salt to taste

Cover barley in hot water and let set for 15-20 minutes. Drain and rinse well. Lightly brown beef in 1 TBSP. oil; then add all other ingredients into large pot; stir then add water. Cook on high until it comes to a boil then turn down and simmer for about 50-60 minutes, stirring occasionally. Always better the second day!

CHICKEN TORTILLA SOUP (Ann Packard)

3 whole boneless, chicken breasts
1 cup chopped onion
1 chopped green pepper
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 TBSP. Oil
2 - 14 oz. Cans, diced tomatoes
3 - 15 oz. Can beans (pinto, kidney, white or black bean)
2/3 - 3/4 cup Pace Picante sauce
1 – 14 oz. can chicken broth
1 tsp. Chili Pepper
1 tsp. Cumin
½ tsp. Salt
1 bunch of fresh cilantro, chopped

Cut chicken into 1" cubes. In Dutch oven cook chicken in oil along with onion, pepper and garlic till done. Add remaining ingredients, and half of chopped cilantro. Simmer for 20 minutes. Add tortilla chips and rest of cilantro before serving. Add grated cheese for added flavor.


PORTUGUESE VEGETABLE SOUP (Ann Packard)

1 ½ TBSP. olive oil
½ cup chopped onion
1 small clove garlic, minced
5 cups chicken stock or broth
1 lb. of Kielbasa sausage
1 – 14.5 oz. can, kidney beans, drained
2 ½ cups diced potatoes
1 – 14.5 oz. can diced tomatoes
Salt and pepper to taste
1 cup macaroni

Chop onion and sauté with garlic in olive oil until onion is tender in soup pot. Add chicken broth; chop up Kielbasa and potatoes and add to chicken broth. Bring to a boil. At this point add macaroni and cook for 5 minutes. Add tomatoes and kidney beans. Simmer until potatoes and macaroni are tender. Season to taste.

PASTA E FAGIOLI (Olive Garden copycat recipe - then tweaked some more!)

1 lb. ground beef, turkey, ground pork or all three!
1 cup chopped carrots
¾ cup chopped onion
1 cup diced celery
2 – 14 oz. cans diced tomatoes
1 – 14 oz. can red kidney beans
1 – 14 oz. can white kidney beans
3 – 14 oz. cans beef broth
1½ tsp. oregano
3 cloves garlic, minced
½ - 1 tsp. pepper
¼ tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
2 ½ TBSP. fresh parsley, chopped
½ tsp. dried basil
½ tsp. Tabasco sauce
24 oz. Spaghetti sauce
1 cup dry pasta shells (whatever variety you want)

Brown meat; drain fat if needed. Add onions, carrots, celery and tomatoes. Simmer for about 10 minutes.
Drain and rinse beans, then add to pot. Add beef broth, garlic, seasonings, spaghetti sauce and pasta. Simmer until celery and carrots are tender, about 45 minutes.

Note: This soups flavored can be “kicked up a notch” by using spiced sausage.

Makes about 4 – 5 qts. of soup.