Sunday, December 21, 2008

Slushy Citrus Party Punch

This recipe hails from my good friend Debbie. I've had it many times, most recently Friday night. It's wonderful.

1 1/2 cup apricot nectar
1 1/2 cup pineapple juice
1 1/2 cup frozen orange juice
3 bananas, mashed
2 cup sugar
8 cup water
1 (2 liter) Sprite

Combine all ingredients except Sprite in large bowl. (You may blend the bananas with some of the juice in a blender). Mix well. Pour into a 9 x 13 pan. Freeze. Let thaw 10-15 minutes before using. Chop slush into pieces. Put in individual glasses or punch bowl. Add Sprite. The more you add the thinner the slush.

Aunt Penee's Cafe Rio Salad

I made this for our family party on Friday night. It's to die for. Labor intensive, to be sure, but really rellys you must make this! I told Penee I was going to post this recipe as it's too good not to share.

The Meat:

3 lb pork shoulder/butt (remember they are the same cut)
16 ounces Salsa
1 can of Coke
2 cups Brown sugar (optional. I did not use the sugar at all as I don't like sweet meat)

Fill crock pot with roast halfway with water. Cook on high for 5 hours. Take pork out, drain liquid. Puree the Salsa, add the coke and pour over the roast. Cook on high for another 3 hours. Shred.

Cilantro Rice:

1 cup uncooked rice
1 tsp butter
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp. freshly squeezed lime juice
1 can chicken broth
1 cup water

Combine rice, garlic, chicken broth and water. Bring to boil, cover and cook on low for 15-20 minutes. Remove from heat. In a small bowl combine the following: 1 Tbsp freshly squeeze lime juice, 2 tsp. sugar, 3 Tbsp freshly chopped cilantro. Pour over the hot rice, mix it in as you fluff the rice.

Black beans:
2 cans black beans ( I cooked mine from scratch, but canned works too)
1 tomato, chopped
1/2 onion, chopped
1/2 bell pepper, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 tsp. Kosher salt

Combine and bring to boil. Reduce heat and simmer for about 20 minutes. Makes 8 1/2 cups.

Ranch Dressing: (this really makes the salad, imho:)

1 package Hidden Valley Ranch mix (the Traditional kind, not Buttermilk)
1 cup mayonnaise
1 cup Buttermilk
2 tomatillos, take husk off and dice small
1/2 bunch fresh cilantro
1 clove garlic
Juice of 1 lime
1 jalapeno pepper, take the seeds out if you don't want it hot

Put the above in blender. Set in fridge for flavors to mix

To serve: Use small tortillas, heat them until warm. Layer as follows: warm tortilla, meat, rice, beans, grated cheese (opt), Lettuce (cut up in strips), olives, avocados, few tortilla chips, etc. Whatever else you want. Pour dressing over top.

Terrific stuff!

Reeses Peanut Butter Cups

Kenz and I made a batch of these too, yesterday. I made them with Mom a few times for Christmas when I was newly married. Very yum.

Mix together and knead:
1 1/2 to 2 packages Graham crackers (crush into fine crumbs)
4 cup powdered sugar
1 cup butter
2 cup peanut butter

Melt your chocolate in a double boiler or over low heat. Take a teaspoonful of chocolate and pour into candy wrapper cup. Take your finger and cover the bottom and half way up the sides of candy cup with chocolate. Then take a pinch of the peanut butter mixture and put on top of the chocolate layer. Then take another dab of chocolate and pour over top of that. The chocolate melts and runs down the sides and meets halfway with your first layer of chocolate. Chocolate hardens and sets up over time. Easiest way to do these is do each step at a time.

Grandma Rose's Caramels

Kenz and I made a batch yesterday and they were as good as I remembered them. Grandma made them at Christmas time.

1 lb light brown sugar
1/2 lb. butter (2 cubes)
1 cup light Karo syrup
1 teaspoon cream of tartar
1 can Eagle Brand Milk
1 cup nuts (add when done)

Put in pan & boil 15 minutes. Stir while cooking. Add nuts and pour on large greased cookie sheet. Cool. Then cut with scissors, dip in chocolate or wrap in wax paper.

Tuesday, November 4, 2008

Stuffed Party Bread

This terrific recipe comes from Lucy Staples (Meghan’s mother in law). She served it at her daughter Kayci’s baby shower. Trust me when I say it is wonderful! (Thanks Lucy)

1 loaf Italian or Vienna bread, unsliced

Score the bread in 1 inch cubes, do not cut clear through.
Place on large sheet of heavy duty (or double) foil.

Fill cracks in bread with mixture of the following:
8 oz chopped mushrooms
1 lb. grated Swiss cheese
3 chopped green onions
2 Tablespoons poppy seeds, sprinkled on top

Mix and pour over bread:
1 cup melted butter
1 ½ teaspoon lemon juice
1 Tablespoon dry mustard

Tuck edges in and wrap tightly in foil.
Bake at 350 for 30 minutes.

I Voted!!


Happy election day everyone!!

Friday, October 31, 2008

Spider Pie (better known as Grandma Ethel's Chocolate Wonder)


This graced our Sunday dinner table. Loved the pie, the Rice Krispie pumpkins and the frozen hand. But the hand was too big for my pitcher. Definitely needed a punch bowl.

Ingredients:

2 cups flour
1 cup butter
2 Tablespoons sugar
1 cup nuts, chopped (whichever kind you prefer)
1 (8 oz) package cream cheese
1 cup powdered sugar
1 (12 oz) carton Cool Whip (‘cept I used fresh whipping cream)
1 large box Instant Chocolate Pudding
2 cup cold milk
Extra fine chopped nuts (and some spiders for the top!)

Crust:
Mix flour, butter and sugar well. Add nuts and press into pan. Bake at 350 for 25 min.
Cool completely.

1st Layer: Combine cream cheese, powdered sugar and ½ the carton of Cool Whip (or freshly whipped cream). Mix well. Pour into cooled shell as first layer.

2nd Layer: Mix pudding and the milk. Spread on top of 1st layer.

3rd Layer: Spread remaining ½ Cool whip/whipped cream on top. Sprinkle with nuts, spiders, bats etc. Put in fridge. Chill and serve.

Sunday, October 26, 2008

Pot Roast

I made a most delicious pot roast today (if I do say so myself). Whenever I'm looking for a recipe I usually browse through several and then just take the parts that I like from all of them and make my own. I made this in the crockpot just because I think it is easier but you could make it in the oven as well. So here it goes.

1 3 pound beef chuck roast
Kosher Salt
Fresh Ground pepper
3 T oil
3 carrots sliced thin
1 onion sliced
3 celery stalks sliced thin
4-5 garlic gloves
2 T flour
1 cup beef broth
1 package of onion soup mix
1 cup water
1/3 cup parsley

Rub roast with kosher salt and pepper. I also rubbed about a half a package of onion soup mix onto the roast. Heat pan with oil. When hot, sear the roast (all sides). Remove roast. In same pan, add onion, carrots, celery, and smashed or diced garlic. Salt and pepper as needed. Sautee for about 5-8 minutes. Add more oil if needed. Add 2 T of flour to coat veggies. Mix onion soup mix with water. Add mixture to vegetables. Add beef broth as well. Cook for a few minutes.

With a crockpot set to low, add seared roast. Pour veggie/liquid mixture over roast and cook on low for 6 to 8 hours.

The last hour, I threw in baby carrots and mushrooms because I had them. Delish.

The roast was so moist and tender. You could make a gravy with the liquid or just spoon over mashed potatoes by itself.

Friday, October 24, 2008

Thursday, October 23, 2008

because Kenzie doesn't like cake

Aunt Candy's Sugar Cookies


It's a challenge coming up with birthday cake alternatives. I've tried ice cream pies and decorated rice krispie treats in years past. This year I made a giant cookie cupcake. It was a hit. Here's my recipe, I've used it for years. Again, people the secret is the butter.

2 eggs
2 cups sugar
1 cup butter
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup milk

6 cups flour
1 tsp salt
1 tsp soda
3 tsp baking powder

Add ingredients in order given. Add dry ingredients until beater can’t stir them. Then stir with a spoon. Knead a little until you can handle it, but not too much. Roll and shape. Bake at 350 for 10 minutes. Makes 4-6 dozen.

(Don't forget to roll the dough directly onto the back of your cookie sheet and bake directly. You'll get a much cleaner shape than if you pick them up to transfer them. Oh, and don't knead or handle the dough too much, it makes the dough tough)

Sunday, October 19, 2008

Cinderella for Sadie



To go along with the Princess theme, a Cinderella cake, natch. I am pleased with how she turned out for the most part, but when I do another one I will not tint the fondant so dark, a lighter shade of blue would be better. I cut the spider off of a Halloween spider ring for her choker and just used fondant for her headband. A special shout out to Mackenzie for Cinderella's updo. I am notoriously bad at styling Barbie doll hair.

Oh, and after I made the Cinderella cake I decided to make a simple Princess crown cut up cake to actually eat. Fondant cake is not very tasty, imho.

Wednesday, October 15, 2008

Broccoli Cheese Soup-Connie's Recipe

This is Connie Allen's recipe, so you know it is gooood!

Broccoli Cheese Soup

2 sticks butter or margarine

1 cup flour

1 cup cream

3 cups milk

1 t sugar

2 cups shredded mild cheddar cheese

2 small cans cream of chicken soup

4-6 potatoes peeled and diced

1 onion chopped

1 or 2 bunches of fresh broccoli

1 lb. ham steak, cut in small cubes

Salt


Start boiling onion and potatoes in large soup pot using enough water to keep them covered. The onion will take the longest so put it in the boiling water while you’re dicing he potatoes. Cut broccoli into bite-sized pieces. You can use the stems if you peel the outer edge off first. Set broccoli aside.


In medium saucepan melt butter on medium heat. Whisk in flour till there are no lumps. Add milk, sugar, and cream and stir continuously until very thick. Stir in cheese and remove from heat. Stir in cream of chicken soup and set aside.


When onion and potatoes are soft, add the broccoli and ham to the pot and cook for 7 more minutes. Any longer and the broccoli will lose its bright green color. Now see how much water is left. If it’s more than one or two inches above the vegetables, then remove some of the water. Add the cream mixture to the pot of vegetables, stir, and remove from heat. Water may be added if the soup is too thick. Salt to taste and serve.


Saturday, October 11, 2008

Candy’s Meat Sauce for Spaghetti


(from the Original Arnett Cookbook)

2 pounds hamburger, brown in pan
2 medium onions or 1 large (chopped)
1 medium green pepper, chopped
1 large can Italian tomatoes (just whole, peeled tomatoes, can use home canned ones as well, sometimes I even use fresh tomatoes)
1 can tomato paste, small
1 can tomato sauce, medium size
½ cup olive oil
2 cloves garlic or healthy sprinkle of powder (1/8-1/4 teaspoon)
1/8 teaspoon red pepper, crushed (optional)
1 bay leaf (remove when done)
1 Tablespoon salt
½ teaspoon oregano
1 teaspoon pepper
½ teaspoon basil
2 teaspoon sugar
1 can mushrooms

Combine all ingredients after browning meat and onion, be sure to break up the whole tomatoes and add the juice of the tomatoes and mushrooms. Simmer from 3 hours to all day stirring occasionally, (great for the crockpot). Add water if necessary but sauce should be thick. Serve over spaghetti noodles.

Another variation:



Friday, October 10, 2008

Apple Crisp

10 apples, peeled, cored and sliced (can be any kind)
1 cup white sugar
1 Tablespoon flour
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 cup water

Preheat oven to 350. Place sliced apples in a 9 x 13 pan. Mix the white sugar, flour and cinnamon together, and sprinkle over the apples. Pour water evenly over all.

Topping:
1 cup quick cooking oats
1 cup flour
1 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 cup butter, melted

Combine the topping ingredients. Crumble evenly over the apple mixture.

Bake at 350 for about 45 minutes.

Fall Apples


Thanks to HB's generosity, I've had apple recipes on my mind.

Candied Apples For Halloween

1 1/2 cups sugar
1 teaspoons vinegar
2/3 cup water
1 package Cherry Kool-Aid
10 apples

Mix sugar, vinegar and water. Boil until mixture reaches 300 degrees;cool. Stir in Kool-Aid. Put apples on sticks and dip into mixture quickly.

Friday, September 19, 2008

Hummus with Pita Chips


Hummus
4 garlic cloves
2 cups canned chickpeas, drained, liquid reserved
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/3 cup tahini (sesame paste)
6 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice (2 lemons, bottled works fine too)
2 tablespoons water or liquid from the chickpeas
8 dashes hot sauce (I use Tabasco)

Turn on the food processor fitted with the steel blade and drop the garlic down the feed tube; process until it's minced. Add the rest of the ingredients to the food processor and process until the hummus is pureed. Taste, for seasoning, and serve chilled or at room temperature.

Pita Chips
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray baking sheet with olive oil cooking spray; set aside.

Cut each. pita bread into 8 triangles. Place on baking sheet, in a single layer. Lightly spray with cooking spray and sprinkle with kosher salt. Bake for 10 minutes. Remove from oven; let cool.

pumpkin gingerbread trifle

I haven't actually made this myself, but someone made it at enrichment this week (Christmas themed) and it was delish so I thought I would share the recipe. It would be a perfect holiday dessert.

2 (14 oz) packages of gingerbread mix
1 (5.1 oz) box cook and serve vanilla pudding mix
1 (30 oz) can pumpkin pie filling
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/3 tsp. cinnamon
1 (12 oz) container of frozen whipped topping

Bake the gingerbread according to the package directions and cool completely.

Meanwhile, prepare the pudding according to the package directions and set aside to cool. Stir the pumpkin pie filling, sugar, and cinnamon into the pudding.

Crumble 1 batch of the gingerbread into the bottom of a large bowl. Pour 1/2 of the pudding mixture over the gingerbread, then add a layer of whipped topping. Repeat with the remaining ingredients.

Refrigerate overnight.

Thursday, September 18, 2008

homemade macaroni and cheese

I can't believe that I have been living in the dark for so long! This recipe is super duper easy and definitely tastier than the blue box.

1 box of pasta (your choice, although I recently purchased pirates of the carribean and nemo pasta at Frys-not sure what store that would be in Utah but it is the Kroger brand)
whipping cream
butter
shredded cheddar cheese

Cook pasta according to package. Add 1 Tbsp of butter. Add one part whipping cream to three part cheese. For example: If I cook half of a box of pasta, I add 1/3 c. of whipping cream and one cup of cheddar cheese. But you can add as much cheese as you like. Salt and pepper to taste.

Tuesday, September 16, 2008

Doodles

These are the best. Most recipes for Snickerdoodles call for cream of tartar and this one doesn't. Cream of tartar, imho, leaves an aftertaste. Not so with these.

3 1/2 cups flour
1 Tablespoon baking powder
2 teaspoons baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1 cup butter
2 cups sugar
2 eggs
1 Tablespoon light corn syrup
2 1/2 teaspoons vanilla

Sift together dry ingredients. Cream the butter. Add the sugar, continue to mix, then add eggs, corn syrup, and vanilla, and mix thoroughly. Add dry ingredients. Can chill, if sticky.

Preheat oven to 375. Roll balls of dough into cinnamon sugar mixture (3 Tablespoons sugar, 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon)
Bake 10-12 minutes.

Monday, September 15, 2008

BBQ Meatloaf

I tried this recipe yesterday solely on the premise that when I googled "Best Meatloaf Recipe Ever" this is the first one that popped up. I wanted something a little different from the usual. Didn't want anything with green peppers in it, either.
I had to endure many pointed references to it's BBQiness (variety and change is so upsetting around here:) Go ahead, ld share the joke about how hard it was to turn the meatloaf on the grill.

Still, I liked it a lot. Enough so that I want to share.

1/2 cup breadcrumbs
1 1/2 lb lean ground beef
1 cup milk
1 large egg
1/4 cup chopped onion ( I used more)
1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/4 teaspoon ground sage
1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 cup barbecue sauce
1 Tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

Preheat oven 350. Mix all ingredients except the Barbecue sauce together, then spread meatloaf mixture into an ungreased loaf pan. Spoon barbecue sauce on the top of the meatloaf and bake, uncovered, for 1 hour.

Thursday, September 11, 2008

wished I had thought of it first


So, I was looking for a baby shower cake site that I remembered seeing and as always happens found something unique along the way. A new site to love. It's hilarious. Some woman made a blog dedicated to all the crappy cake failures she has personally seen or that others have submitted. Oh. My. Gosh. Kenz and I tee heed all morning. Go have a look, but be forewarned some posts deal in potty humor. Maybe we should all post our dinner failures on this blog, what an idea, eh?

Go see. Try not to laugh.

http://cakewrecks.blogspot.com/

Sunday, September 7, 2008

Favorite Chocolate Chip Cookies


This little gem comes from the Vineyard cook book courtesy of Rose Marie Morris.

2 c. quality shortening ( this is the secret ingredient....use the shortening, it's delicious I promise)
1 c. brown sugar, packed
2 c. white sugar
4 eggs beaten
2 tsp. salt
1 c. chocolate chips
1 c. nuts (optional)
4 c. sifted flour
1 1/2 c. quick oats
2 tsp baking soda

I always add ingredients in order they are listed.

Drop on Cookie Sheet. Bake at 350 for 9-10 minutes

Monday, August 4, 2008

Aunt Candy's Stir Fried Chicken with Cashews

Years ago I took a Chinese cooking class through community ed. I came away with about 3 keeper recipes. This is one of 'em.

Take about 1 pound whole chicken breast, de-boned
Cut the meat into 1/2 inch squares.
Toss the chicken with 1 teaspoon rice wine, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/2 egg white (or 1 Tablespoon water) and 2 teaspoon cornstarch. Let marinate for at least 30 minutes.

Take:
Bunch of stalks green onions (1/2 inch lengths and use the whole onion)
Some slices of ginger root (3/8 inch squares)
1/2 Tablespoon rice wine
1 green pepper - sliced and cut up

Mix these altogether and stir fry. Then take your chicken and in a different pan fry it until chicken turns white color. Then dump the vegetable mixture into the chicken and continue to stir fry for a little while. Then remove from stove and pour into serving dish. Take a bag of cashews about a 6-8 ounce bag and dump on top of chicken. Serves 6. Serve over rice.

Grandma Rose's Flour Tortillas

4 cups flour
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/3 cup shortening
1 1/4 cup warm water

Mix until sticky. Pinch off balls, roll in hands into balls. Let dough rest while you heat the skillet until hot, then turn the heat down to low. Roll each ball out until round and thin. Place on griddle or fry pan, cook on both sides. If want to use them later, place in plastic bag to steam.

Grandma Rose's Green Corn Tamales

2 day white green corn (Mexican June variety)
1 pound cottage cheese
1 1/2 pound margarine
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 Tablespoon salt
2 pounds Longhorn cheese, grated
12-18 whole long green chilis

Place whole chilis on baking sheet and broil until soft and blistery. Peel. Meanwhile cut large end of corn. Peel away husks. Retain inner leaves. Shave off kernels into large bowl. Force kernels through grinder or blender. Mix in margarine, kneading the mixture, adding more margarine if corn is dry. Add salt, baking soda and cottage cheese.

Place 2-4 Tablespoons of masa mixture in center of each corn husk, top with grated cheese and strips of chili. Fold one side of corn husk over mixture and overlap. Finish folding. Stand up tamales top end up and steam 2 or 3 minutes. Can freeze.

Grandma Ethel's Chicken Broccoli Casserole

1 stick butter
2 packages frozen chopped broccoli (I've used fresh many times too)
1/2 pound jar cheese whiz (yes, I know this isn't really a food is it?)
1 cup chopped onion, medium
1 can mushroom soup
1 cup cooked rice
1 chicken, cooked, deboned and cut up

Thaw broccoli (if using frozen), saute it with butter and onion in a skillet. Add other ingredients. Stir often after each addition. Pour into 2 quart casserole dish. Bake 350 for 30 minutes. Add alittle water/milk if it looks dry.

Grandma Clifford's Chocolate Pie

1 cup sugar
1/3 cup flour
1/3 cup cocoa
1 egg
3/4 cup milk, more or less
Pinch of salt

Stir until thickened over medium heat. Pour into baked pie shell. Let cool.

Grandma Busby's Plum Pudding

1 1/2 cup sugar
2 eggs
2 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon cinnamon
4 cup flour
1 teaspoon allspice
1 pound raisins
1 cup nuts
1 cup fruit mix
Milk to mix
1/4 teaspoon cloves
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 pound suet (this is beef fat but Grandma Clifford used shortening or margarine, about 2/3 cup)

Mix sugar and eggs and shortening. Sift flour, baking powder, spices and salt into sugar and eggs. Stir in raisins, nuts and fruit mix. Add enough milk to make stiff batter. Pour into large clean cloth, pull ends together and tie at top. Put into kettle of boiling water. Boil 2 hours. Serve with sauce.

Sauce

1 quart milk
1 Tablespoons flour or cornstarch;
1 Tablespoon Vanilla
1 cup sugar
Pinch of Salt.

Heat milk, mix sugar and flour together. Stir into boiling milk. Thicken it. Add salt and vanilla. If lumpy strain through strainer.

Soft Pretzels

Got this recipe from the Friend magazine years ago. My kids loved this.

1 Tablespoon yeast
1 1/2 cup warm water
4 cup flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 Tablespoon sugar
1 egg white, plus 1 Tablespoon water
kosher salt for sprinkling

Preheat oven to 450. Dissolve yeast in warm water for about 5 minutes. Stir in flour, salt, and sugar to form slightly stiff dough. Knead briefly. Cut dough into 12 pieces. roll each piece into a long, thin snake and then form a pretzel. Place all pretzels on a greased cookie sheet. Beat the egg white and water with a fork until frothy. Brush the egg white over each pretzel. Sprinkle pretzels with kosher salt. Bake at 450 for about 15 minutes. Makes 12.

Chicken and Cabbage Salad

1 large head cabbage, chopped (although in truth I mostly use the bagged coleslaw salad (2 small bags), as I'm lazy like that)
1 package Chicken Ramen noodles, uncooked
4 green onions, chopped
4 teaspoon slivered almonds (whole almonds are good too)
2 chicken breasts, cooked and chopped

Brown Ramen noodles and almonds. Put everything into large bowl; mix well. Chill and serve cold.

Dressing:

4 Tablespoons sugar
3/4 cup oil
2 teaspoon salt
6 Tablespoons vinegar
1 package Chicken Ramen noodle seasoning

Combine and mix well. Pour over salad and toss to coat.

Broccoli Salad

4 large stalks broccoli, cut florets small
1 medium red onion, diced
1 pound bacon, fried, drained and broken up
1/2 cup toasted sunflower seeds
1 red pepper, diced
1/2 cup dressing (recipe follows)

Combine all vegetables and toss with salad dressing just before serving.

Salad Dressing

2 Tablespoons vinegar
1/3 cup sugar
2-3 shakes Tabasco sauce

Friday, July 25, 2008

White Texas Sheet Cake

1 cup butter
1 cup water
2 cups all purpose flour
2 cups white sugar
2 eggs
1/2 cup sour cream
1 teaspoon almond extract
1 teaspoon baking soda

Frosting:
1/2 cup butter
1/4 cup milk
4 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
1 cup chopped nuts (opt)

In a large saucepan, bring 1 cup butter and water to a boil. Remove from heat, and stir in flour, sugar, eggs, sour cream, 1 teaspoon almond extract, and baking soda until smooth. Pour batter into a greased 10 x 15 x 1 in pan (cookie sheet with sides). Bake at 375 degrees for 20 -22 minutes or until cake is golden brown and tests done. Cool for 20 min.

To make frosting:
Combine 1/2 cup butter and milk in a saucepan, bring to a boil. Remove from heat.
Mix in sugar and 1/2 teaspoon almond extract. Stir in pecans. Spread frosting over warm cake.

Tri Tip Roast (or steaks)

3 tablespoons garlic powder
2 tablespoons salt
2 tablespoons ground black pepper
2 pounds tri tip roast (or steaks)

Combine garlic powder, salt and pepper. Mix together and rub it into both sides of the meat. Sear both sides of meat on hot grill, then cook 20-24 min (for roast) or 7-8 min for steaks or until center is pink for medium rare. Slice meat against the grain.

Tri-tip roasts are popular in California (aka Uncle Floyd and Santa Maria); it's a flavorful cut, perfect for barbecuing and grilling. Triangular in shape, it is also called sirloin tip, culotte steak, triangle steak, and Santa Maria-style. The tri-tip cut is rather lean and can get tough if over-cooked. So, don't trim the fat before cooking (it will be needed to keep the steak tender). This cut can be hard to find outside of California, though both Costco and Sam's Club carry it. You can also use this recipe with a flank steak.

If you don't have a grill, you can prepare the tri-tip by browning it in a hot cast iron pan on the stove top, then placing it a 325°F oven until the internal temperature of the steak/roast reaches 130°F.

Some tips about cooking steak/tri tip:

Don’t cook the meat direct from the fridge, let it set out room temperature (about an hour, it will be okay)

Ordinarily you shouldn't salt your meat until after it cooks, as salt sucks the moisture out of meat. But with tri tip this isn't the case as this recipe uses a dry rub.

Serve it medium rare, as tri tip will dry out

Don’t prick the meat with a fork at all as the juices will run out

8 to ten minutes on grill, let sit. Put in oven to hold warmth, wrap in foil

Let it rest 5 – 10 minutes before slicing or serving

Cut the Tri Tip into 1/8 - 5/8" serving slices. The Tri Tip has a "grain" like wood and you must cut with it. If you cut it against the grain it will be tough to chew.

Happy tri tipping!

Wednesday, July 23, 2008

Cowboy Caviar


The first time I had this I thought it was a salad but it is actually supposed to be served with tortilla chips. You take your pick.

1 can shoepeg corn, drained
1 can blackeyed peas, rinsed and drained
1 chopped tomato
1/2 bunch cilantro, chopped
1 bunch green onions, chopped
2 avocados, chopped
1 tsp. cumin
salt and pepper to taste
Mix together:
1/4 c. olive oil
1/4 c. red wine vinegar
1 clove garlic
Add liquid to the rest of ingredients and stir gently.

Thursday, July 17, 2008

Key Lime Pie


I just posted this recipe to my ward's recipe blog. We have an enrichment focus group recipe exchange once a month it's lots of fun to meet with all the ladies and chat and eat. This month's theme was Summer Favorites. Nothing is more summery to me than Key Lime Pie. This is my family's (I think Devry made it first) adaptation of Martha's recipe. Enjoy!

Key Lime Pie – Martha Stewart
Martha says, "Look for brightly colored, smooth-skinned limes that are heavy for their size. Small brown areas on the skin won't affect flavor or succulence, but a hard or shriveled skin will. You'll know the pie is done when the center is set but still quivers when the pan is nudged. Before serving, chill the pie in the freezer for 10 minutes; this will make slicing easier."

* 1 1/2 cups graham-cracker crumbs
* 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled
* 5 tablespoons sugar
* 1 (14 ounces) can sweetened condensed milk
* 4 large egg yolks
* 1/2 cup freshly squeezed key-lime juice
* 1 tablespoon grated key-lime zest, plus more for garnish
* 1 1/2 cups heavy cream, chilled

Directions

1. Heat oven to 375 degrees. Combine graham-cracker crumbs, butter, and 3 tablespoons sugar in a medium bowl; mix well. Press into a 9-inch pie plate, and bake until lightly browned, about 12 minutes. Remove from oven, and transfer to a wire rack until completely cooled.
2. Lower oven to 325 degrees. In a medium bowl, gently whisk together condensed milk, egg yolks, key-lime juice, and zest. Pour into the prepared, cooled crust.
3. Return pie to oven, and bake until the center is set but still quivers when the pan is nudged, 15 to 17 minutes. Let cool completely on a wire rack.
4. Shortly before serving, combine cream and remaining 2 tablespoons sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a whisk attachment. Whisk on medium speed until soft peaks form, 2 to 3 minutes. Spoon over cooled pie; garnish with zest. Serve immediately.

Dana’s Substitutions:
Because I’m not as hard-core about my ingredients as Ms. Martha and in the interest of saving time I use a few short cuts. I use a ready made graham cracker crust and I use bottled key lime juice. The brand I can find the most is “Nellie and Joe’s Famous Key West Lime Juice”. Also for the zest I use a lemon because key lime juice is yellow so it’s not such a jarring contrast in the baked pie as the zest from a regular lime.

Wednesday, July 16, 2008

curry chicken


2 cloves of minced garlic
1 white onion
2 T sugar
1 can coconut milk
1/8 c (yellow) curry powder (more or less, depending on your taste for it)
4 large chicken breasts, cubed
3 large potatoes, peeled and cubed
cashews or peanuts (optional)

In a large saucepan, sautee garlic and onion in butter. Add coconut milk + 3/4 can of water, sugar, and curry powder. When sauce is blended, add potatoes and chicken. Cook for 20 min. or until potatoes are soft and chicken is cooked through. Add nuts for last 5 min or so.

Serve over rice.

Monday, June 23, 2008

Ice Cream Cookie Sandwiches


So much better than store bought! I made this last week for Father's Day, I liked it but think I probably rolled the dough out too thick, a thinner cookie would be better.

1 stick margarine (yup, not butter this time)
1 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
½ cup cocoa powder
2 cups flour
1 tsp. baking powder
¼ tsp salt
Half gallon carton vanilla ice cream (or whatever flavor you prefer)

Cream the margarine and brown sugar (using margarine instead of butter and brown sugar instead of granulated sugar produces a chewy, soft cookie). Beat in the eggs and vanilla.

Sift together cocoa, flour, baking powder and salt. Add to margarine mixture. Beat until well combined. Gather dough into a ball and chill at least 1 hour.

On back of sturdy cookie sheet, roll out the dough to ¼ inch thickness. Use a ruler and knife to cut out rectangular pieces. (I just made up a pattern/template by tracing the end of the ice cream carton and then cutting it in half. Spray your template/pattern with Pam and it won’t stick to the dough) Poke a few holes on top or make a pattern with a fork if you want. Go ahead and bake them on the back side of cookie sheet (picking them up again is redundant and again, you’ll get a cleaner shape if you don’t pick them up and transfer them)

Bake at 375 for 8-10 minutes or until set. Cool completely.
Meanwhile cut out rectangle blocks from the ice cream. To do this, peel back carton wrapping and cut ½ inch thick slabs that are roughly the dimensions of your cookies. Return the blocks to the freezer.

Once the cookies have cooled completely, place one ice cream block between two cookies. Trim the sides with a knife, wrap the sandwich in foil, and freeze for several hours. Repeat until used all the cookies and ice cream. Makes enough dough for 6 large sandwiches.

because Kody requested ribs for Sunday dinner


I thought I had the best recipe for cooking ribs until I discovered an even better one. Oh, rellys, you must try this! I loooovvveee this recipe as it is perfect for cooking on a Sunday because it requires cooking for at least 3 hours and uses the oven to boot. We had this for Sunday dinner yesterday and it was to die for. I discovered it on a bbq ribs website called http://www.amazingribs.com/

It lists all kinds of recipes but this is the one I used: Smoky Sauna Indoor Ribs

I would post the recipe direct but he has a copyright notice at the bottom of his pages so I will just refer you to it. Seriously, though it is a great site. It’s got a lot of content on it, so scroll down and click away, you’ll find lots of info and recipes. I even made his coleslaw (non creamy), delish, btw.

I used his dry rub recipe called Meathead’s Magic Dust, let them set ovenight in the fridge and then slow cooked them in the oven. The secret is the pan of water underneath. They came out incredible. Go have a look.

Wednesday, June 18, 2008

Thank you Body for Life



This recipe is delicious and good for you. I make it at least once a week. A link to the recipe can be found here.

Wednesday, June 11, 2008

Tomato Chicken Fettuccine

This is a great crockpot recipe I gleaned from a friend:

3 chicken breasts (frozen works fine)
2 cans stewed tomatoes
1 bunch green onions, chopped
oregano
basil
2 cloves garlic, minced

Cook in crockpot on low for 5-8 hours
During the last hour, combine and add:

1 pint whipping cream
3 eggs
1-2 c. Parmesan cheese

Serve over fettuccine noodles

Saturday, June 7, 2008

Pasta Poppyseed Salad

Believe it or not we had this at Girls Camp a few years ago. Our camp cook was unbelievable (the same one who served Kalua Pig). Again, you will have to adjust the proportions accordingly, this recipe doesn't serve that many.

1/2 cup sliced almonds
1 Tablespoon sugar
1/2 Tablespoon butter, melted
1/2 cup cooked rotini or corkscrew pasta
1 boneless, skinless chicken breast
2 cup chopped lettuce greens (romaine and iceberg)
1/4 cup shredded Swiss cheese
1/4 cup (or to taste) sliced button mushrooms
1/2 cup (or to taste) poppyseed dressing
1 large strawberry

Prepare sugared almonds: Mix sugar and butter. Coat sliced almonds in sugar-butter mixture. Bake at 350 degrees for seven minutes. Stir and return to oven for seven more minutes. Let cool.

Cook pasta; drain.

I'm trying to find the poppyseed dressing she used. I'll post it when I find it, but you can use a bottled poppyseed, I guess only more expensive:)

Prepare chicken: Brush or pour about one tablespoon of poppyseed dressing on the chicken breast and sprinkle with about 1 teaspoon of sugar. Bake in 350 degree oven for 30 minutes or until the chicken is done.

Mix lettuce greens, Swiss cheese, mushrooms, and pasta in a large bowl and toss well with poppyseed dressing.

Slice chicken breast and strawberry and arrange slices in a fan on salad. Sprinkle with sugared almond slices.

BYU Mint Brownies

Makes one 9 x 13 pan

1 cup butter (or margarine, but you know how I feel about butter, people)
1/2 cup cocoa
2 Tablespoons honey
4 eggs
2 cup sugar
1 3/4 cup flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup chopped walnuts (Meghan doesn't like nuts, so I don't usually put any in)
12 ounces chocolate frosting (use your own fav icing recipe.)

Mint Icing:
5 Tablespoons butter
dash of salt
3 Tablespoons milk
1 Tablespoon light corn syrup
2 1/3 cup powdered sugar
1/2 teaspoon mint extract
1-2 drops green food coloring

Melt butter and mix in cocoa. Allow to cool. Add honey, eggs, sugar, flour, baking powder, and salt. Mix well. Add nuts. Pour batter into a greased 9 x 13 pan. Bake at 350 for 25 minutes. Cool.

Prepare mint icing: Soften butter. Add salt, corn syrup, and powdered sugar. Beat until smooth and fluffy. Add mint extract and food coloring. Mix. Add milk gradually until the consistency is a little thinner than cake frosting.

Spread mint icing over brownies. Place brownies in the freezer for a short time to stiffen the icing. Remove from the freezer and carefully add a layer of chocolate icing.

Four Corners Chicken and Pasta

A BYU Skyroom Restaurant recipe and one we used in RS at last years VT conference.

Serves 4 (so will need to adjust proportions accordingly)

1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breast
8 oz. dry penne pasta
1 yellow onion, sliced
1 large tomato, diced
1 small bunch cilantro

Southwestern Pasta Sauce

5 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup flour
2 1/1 cup half and half cream
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
3 ounces processed Swiss cheese slices
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup sour cream
1 Tablespoon canned chipotle peppers, finely chopped
1 Tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro

Grill chicken and slice into thin strips. Cook and drain pasta. Slowly cook onion in a little oil until onion is a rich brown.
Prepare the sauce: Melt butter; add flour. Stir until well combined. Add half and half, salt, and pepper. Stir with a whisk and continue cooking over medium low heat until sauce is thickened and bubbly. Add cheese and stir until blended. Add sour cream and mix well. Add chipotle peppers (chipotle peppers are hot; add more or less to taste) and chopped cilantro.

Pour four cups of the pasta sauce into a heated saute pan. Add pasta and chicken; toss to coat.

After mixture is heated through, pour into a serving bowl. Garnish with chopped tomatoes, caramelized onions, and cilantro.

Friday, June 6, 2008

Grilled Fruit



Halve the peaches. Sprinkle generously with sugar. Let them sit for a bit while the sugar dissolves. Grill the peaches flesh side down for about 2 to 3 minutes. Then turn over and grill for about 1-2 minutes more. Take them off the grill and then drizzle with molasses. Serve with crème fraîche. I don't think I had really ever had crème fraîche before as it is not widely available and because of the cost is mainly used in high end cooking. So I decided to make some of my own. It is sort of a lighter tastier version of sour cream. It was totally worth it. I was the perfect compliment to the grilled fruit.

Crème Fraîche

To make your own is very easy. Using a glass container, start out with heavy cream (i actually just used regular whipping cream and it was fine). Then add buttermilk.

I added 2 tablespoons of buttermilk to my one cup of cream. I stirred it up a bit covered it with plastic and then let it sit overnight at room temperature. Everything I read assured me this is perfectly safe and that the good bacteria cultures in the buttermilk help stave off the bad ones. About 16 hours later it was a thick delicious cream.

I plan on making it all the time now. I plan on trying this with nectarines, plums and apricots. Yum, yum!

Thursday, June 5, 2008

Yellow Cake


This is the cake I made for Kodison's birthday. Yellow cake is his favorite with chocolate frosting. (Hence I made a little chocolate football to appease him) I cut up the cake shape from a 9 x 13 pan and carved the jersey and football from there. The trick to doing cut up cakes is to freeze the unfrosted cake a bit, that way the crumbs adhere to the cake and not the frosting.

Yellow Butter Cake made from scratch

2 cups all-purpose flour, stirred before measuring
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 1/4 cups sugar
2 eggs
3/4 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla

Mix flour, baking powder, and salt; set aside. Cream sugar and butter in a large mixing bowl, beating until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add half of the flour mixture then half of the milk. Add vanilla. Mix until blended; add remaining flour and milk and beat til smooth. The batter will be thick. Spread batter in 13x9 baking pan. Bake at 350° for 25 to 35 minutes.

BBQ Ribs

This is a simple way to cook ribs. My fam likes them this way and some of them don't usually like ribs. These ribs are seasoned, boiled until tender, then baked with your favorite barbeque sauce. That's it. Soooo simple.

Serves 4 (you'll have to double recipe if serving more people)

2 1/2 pounds country style pork ribs ( I like baby back)
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
2 tablespoons salt
1 cup barbeque sauce

Place ribs in a large pot with enough water to cover. Season with garlic powder, black pepper and salt (and onion wedges, if you like. Sometimes I use 1/2 cup soy sauce, too). Bring water to a boil, and cook ribs until tender (about 45 min). Turn off heat, cover pan and let ribs marinate in the broth for several hours (about 4-5 hours). But you don't have to let them marinate if you are in a hurry, just will have more flavor if they sit.

Preheat oven to 325. Remove ribs from pot, and place them in a 9 x 13 dish. Pour barbeque sauce over ribs. Cover dish with aluminum foil, and bake in the oven for 1 to 1 1/2 hours.

Note: I usually put more BBQ sauce on the tops about 20 minutes before I take them out of the oven. These ribs come out incredibly tender and falling off the bone, but still with some tug.

Ziploc Omelets

or "Called to Serve" Omelets

A couple of summers ago we had a young missionary from Canada stay with us overnight prior to our taking him into the MTC. He was from Megs mission. In the course of chatting each other up he shared a missionary cookbook put together by his sisters. This recipe fascinated me.

Works great when you're all alone or when all your family is together. Best feature is that no one has to wait for their special omelet. Have guests write their name on a quart size Ziploc freezer bag with permanent marker.

1. Crack 2 large eggs into the quart size Ziploc bag (not more than 2)

2. Shake to combine them.

3. Put out a variety of ingredients such as: cheeses, ham, onion, green pepper, tomato, hash browns, salsa, etc.

4. Each guest adds prepared ingredients of their choice to their bag and shake.

5. Make sure to get the air out of the bag and zip it up.

6. Place the bags into rolling, boiling water for exactly 13 minutes.

7. You can usually cook 6-8 omelets in a large pot. For more, make another pot of boiling water.

8. Open the bags and the omelet will roll out easily. Be prepared for everyone to be amazed.

Nice to serve with fresh fruit and muffins; everyone gets involved in the process and a great conversation piece.

Imagine having these ready the night before and putting the bag in boiling water while you get ready. And in 13 minutes, you have a nice omelet for a quick breakfast.

Wednesday, June 4, 2008

Two Great Salads!

Apple-Gorgonzola Salad

5-6 cups of your favorite greens
2-3 Granny Smith apples peeled and sliced
1 cup shredded carrots
3-4 oz. gorgonzola cheese

garnish with about a cup of chopped caramelized pecans. To caramelize: Put about a half cup of sugar in a skillet on medium heat. Stir sugar and it will begin to melt around the edges. Continue stirring until sugar is completely melted and is an amber color. You may need to lower the heat towards the end. Quickly add the pecans and stir. Then immediately remove from the heat. Put the pecans in another container to cool. Break up and toss into salad after the dressing has been added.

Dressing
1 cup salad oil
1/4 cup FRESH lemon juice
1/8 cup white wine vinegar
1/4 cup sugar
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. white pepper

Combine the above ingredients and toss into salad just before serving. I like to make the dressing a few hours ahead to let the flavors blend together.

Berry-Mandarin Tossed Salad

8 Cups torn mixed greens
2 cups sliced strawberries
1 can drained mandarin oranges
1 med red onion sliced and rings separated
1/2 cup toasted slivered almonds
4 bacon strips, cooked and crumbled

Dressing
1/4 cup sugar
2 T cider vinegar
2 T honey
1-1/4 tsp. lemon juice
1/2 tsp. paprika
1/2 tsp ground mustard
1/2 tsp grated onion
1/4 tsp. celery seed
dash of salt
1/3 cup vegetable oil

Combine all the salad ingredients into a salad bowl. Mix together the dressing ingredients then toss into the salad just before serving.

Making salad is probably one of my least favorite things to prepare in the kitchen. However these two recipes are worth the time and the work to make. They are really delicious salads!

pecan pie

This is an extremely easy and divine Martha Stewart recipe:

4 eggs, beaten
1/2 c sugar
1 c dark Karo syrup
1/2 c light Karo syrup
1 1/2 c chopped pecans
1 tsp vanilla

Mix and pour into chilled pie crusts and decorate with whole pecans.
Bake @ 350 for 40 min.

Monday, June 2, 2008

Cheesy Chicken Rolls

Ingredients:

Boneless Skinless Chicken Breast (4)
Mushrooms (6 or 7 large)
Green onion (4)
Sour cream (approx 1 1/2 Cup)
Mozarella Cheese (approx 3/4 cup)



Directions:

Place chicken breast between two pieces of saran wrap. Pound flat (approx 1"). Set aside. Cut up mushrooms and green onion. Combine all ingredients into a bowl


Place a spoonful of mixture in the middle of chicken. Roll and place seam side down onto a 9x12 baking dish. Once all chicken has been placed put remaining mixture on top

Bake at 350 degrees for between 1 hour and 1 hour and 15 minutes.

Sunday, June 1, 2008

Graham Cracker Delights


1 package of Graham Crackers
1 bowl of homemade icing/frosting

Open the package of Graham Crackers.
Take one cracker from the package and snap into 2 equal parts.
Spread the homemade frosting on one half (Thickness of frosting can be to your own personal delight.)
Put the other half of the Graham cracker on top to form a sandwich with frosting in the middle.

Make as many as you desire. For variety, a drop of food coloring can be mixed with the frosting to make different colors.

Place Graham sandwiches in the freezer for 5-10 minutes. Let chill thoroughly.

Better than an Oreo cookie.

For a variation, i.e. HB style, you can skip the Graham cracker part and just eat the frosting straight from the bowl.

Sunday Dinner at our house


We all met after Sacrament meeting for Sunday dinner. Only it was a special dinner as we were marking the occasion. Cate was blessed today. I baked these little cookies and placed them on each plate. See what I wrote.


Blessed. That one word seemed appropriate but confusing for some. Ld announced he was going to say the blessing and Janny piped up: "Oh, I thought the word Blessed meant the food was already prayed over".

Great idea, janny. I will take up writing on our food blessed or not blessed from now on.

Anyway, I made these Brown Sugar Cookies to celebrate. The original recipe is one from the Friend, only it was called Rainbow Cookies. We used it in YW as I recall to make temple cut out cookies back in the day. I like this recipe as it is sturdy enough to cut out, uses real butter and turns a golden color, which is important if you want the frosting contrasted. Plus, sometimes I get tired of just regular Sugar Cookies.

Here’s the recipe.

Note: Be sure to roll out the cookies directly on the back of the cookie sheets and bake them without transferring them. (Provided of course that you have a quality cookie sheet) You’ll get a cleaner shape than if you pick them up. I’ve done it this way for as long as I can remember.

Kitchen Krafts,” Friend, Apr 1984, 23
1 cup soft butter or margarine

3/4 cup white sugar

3/4 cup brown sugar

2 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla

3 cups flour 

1/2 teaspoon soda

1/2 teaspoon salt 

Cream together butter, sugars, eggs, and vanilla.
Stir flour, soda, and salt together, then add to creamed mixture. Mix well.
Roll out, cut in shapes.
Bake on ungreased cookie sheet at 375° F for about 7 minutes.


The rest of the menu

I let Kenz pick out the menu as it was really her day (well Cate’s too). She choose her fav Sour Cream Chicken Enchiladas (original recipe from Aunt Kathleen) along with Broccoli, Green Salad, Homemade Rolls, Strawberries and Cantaloupe, and Key Lime Pie.

Sour Cream Chicken Enchiladas

1 chicken boiled and deboned

Mix chicken with:
1 can cream of chicken soup, pint of sour cream, I small onion diced, diced chilis.

Fry about 1 ½ dozen tortillas. Fill with meat, roll. Cover with grated cheese. Bake at 350 for 30 min. Serves 6-8.


Meghan and Kody licking their chops in anticipation : )

Lion House Dinner Rolls

2 tablespoons dry yeast (2 packets)
2 cups warm water (110-115 degrees)
1/3 cup sugar
1/3 cup butter
2 ½ teaspoons salt
2/3 cup nonfat dry milk
5 to 6 cups flour
1 egg

In the large bowl of an electric mixer, combine yeast and water. Let stand 5 minutes. Add sugar, shortening, salt, dry milk, 2 cups flour, and egg. Beat together until very smooth. Add 2 more cups flour, one at a time, and beat until smooth.

Add about one more cup flour, ½ cup at a time (in your mixer if it will take it, or by hand), until it is well mixed in. Turn dough onto a lightly floured board and knead until it is smooth and satiny. Gather dough into a ball. Scrape bowl clean and grease it with shortening/butter. Return dough to bowl and grease surface lightly. Let rise away from drafts in a warm (not hot) place until about triple in bulk. (In a cool oven with a pan of hot water on a rack under it is a good place.)

Use last of the flour as needed on the board for rolling and shaping the dough. (Don’t use it all unless you need it.) Let dough rest on board for 10 minutes so it will be easier to manage if you roll it. Cut or mold into desired shapes. Place on greased baking sheets. Brush surface of rolls with melted butter. Let rise in warm place until ready for oven (about 1 ½ hours). Bake at 400 degrees for 15-20 minutes, or until browned. Makes about 5 dozen rolls.

Note: The entire mixing process may be done by hand. It takes through beating and kneading to develop the gluten in the dough. Soft dough makes lighter, more tender rolls. This small version of the Lion House recipe makes a soft dough, but on that can be handled. Any soft dough can be managed more easily if it is refrigerated overnight before rolling and shaping. Always add flour gradually, and keep dough as soft as you can handle it.

Saturday, May 31, 2008

Ramen Delight (Brig's Specialty)


Ingredients needed:

1 packet of Ramen Noodles
1 can of tuna fish
1/2 can of corn
1/2 cup of water

Bring the 1/2 cup of water to boil, then put in the ramen noodles and boil until they are how noodles are supposed to be, then reduce heat to medium and put in the corn, and the tuna, and the little flavor packet for the noodles and then stir it all up. I prefer Oriental flavor ramen or chicken flavored. You can use canned chicken instead of tuna fish but thats not quite as good or healthy.

Mackenzie wanted to make sure that she does not get credit for this delicious meal so this was posted by Chef B. Gomer. I know this is a bit of an advance cooking meal so if anyone needs help with it, I would be happy to assist.

Friday, May 30, 2008

Moroccan-style Brisket



A while back I posted this on my blog. I have since made it several times and it is always a huge hit that I thought it needed to become a permanent resident of the Arnett cooking blog. I promise you your house will smell so divine with this simmering away in the crockpot. Please don't be scared of the recipe it really is so easy and so good!

Moroccan Brisket
recipe: Robin Miller but adapted by Devry

1 large red onion, sliced into thin wedges
2 parsnips, chopped
2 pound boneless beef brisket
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 teaspoons ground coriander
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
Pinch nutmeg
1 cup whole dried apricots
2/3 cup grape juice
1/3 cup red wine vinegar
1/2 cup reduced-sodium beef broth
2 tablespoons honey
1 cup couscous
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves

Arrange onion wedges and parsnips in bottom of slow cooker. Season beef all over with salt and black pepper. In a small bowl, combine coriander, cumin, cinnamon, garlic powder, and nutmeg. Rub spice mixture all over beef. Arrange beef (fat side up) over onions and parsnips in slow cooker. Arrange apricots around beef (I find that adding the apricots in just for the last couple of hours is best, if you put them in right at the beginning then they get too mushy).

In a small bowl, whisk together juice, vinegar, broth and honey. Pour mixture over beef and vegetables. Cover and cook on LOW for 6 to 8 hours or HIGH for 3 to 4 hours.

Cook couscous according to package directions. Serve beef, vegetables and apricots over couscous. Pour over extra sauce from slow cooker and top with cilantro.

Honey-Glazed Chicken Stir-Fry


Honey-Glazed Chicken Stir-Fry

Start to Finish: 25 Min. Makes: 4 Servings

  • 12 ounces skinless, boneless chicken breast halves or thighs
  • 2 T honey
  • 2 T vinegar
  • 2 T Orange Juice
  • 4 t soy sauce
  • 1 1/2 t Corn Starch
  • 2 T cooking oil
  • 4 C cut up veggies (ie. broccoli, sweet pepper, onion, and or/ mushrooms)
  • 2 C Hot cooked rice
  1. Cut chicken into bite sized strips, set aside. For sauce, in a small bowl stir together honey, vinegar, OJ, Soy, and corn starch, set aside.
  2. Pour oil into wok or large skillet. Heat over med. heat. Add veggies to wok; cook and stir for 3-4 min. or until veggies are crisp-tender. Remove veggies from wok. Add chicken, cook and stir for 3-4 min or until chicken is no longer pink. Push chicken from the center of the wok. Stir sauce, add to center of wok. Cook and stir until thickened and bubbly.
  3. Return veggies and stir about 1 min. or until heated. Serve over rice!!

That is it! So simply and yummy. Okay just in case you don't use the same abbreviations.

T = Table spoons

t = teaspoons

C = cups

OJ = orange juice

Try it and let me know how you like it. Feel free to share easy recipe's with me too. Just so you know I don't eat pork, lamb, sausage, veil, ferret, pigeon, etc. I stick with Chicken and beef.



Manacotti


Several months ago, Devry introduced me to Italian sausage spaghetti, which consequently changed Dave's and my dinner-life. The following is a combo-take on that and my mom's manacotti:

Filling:

Ricotta cheese
Mozzarella cheese
1 egg
parsley
oregano

Mix the above. (As for portions for the cheese...it depends on how much manacotti you're making. A little goes a long way.)

Sauce:

ground mild Italian sausage
1 jar spaghetti sauce
1 sm. carton heavy whipping cream

Brown the sausage. Pour in spag. sauce and cream and simmer for a bit.

Cook your noodles. Don't worry if they break apart while draining. The cheese stuffing will keep the roll together. Pour a smidge of sauce into a baking pan. Stuff the noodles with cheese and lay them onto the pan. Cover in sauce. Top with remaining mozzarella. Bake @ 350 for 30 min or so.

Key Lime Pie


Makes 2 pies

I’ve served this pie for Mother’s Day activities in YW and RS many times. It’s a hit, and the easiest key lime pie ever. Light, great for spring and summer.

Easy Key Lime Pie

2 graham cracker pie crusts (not the cheapo kind as it’s skimpy, better yet make your own)
1 (14 oz) can sweetened condensed milk
1 (6 oz) can frozen limeade concentrate
1 (12 ounces) carton Cool Whip
drop or two green food coloring


Combine Sweetened condensed milk, limeaid and cool whip in bowl
Stir until thoroughly mixed.
Pour into 2 graham cracker crusts.
Let chill.
Filling will become firmer when chilled.

This is also good with frozen pink lemonade.

Kalua Pig (the one I served at Meg's Homecoming, and Christmas Eve, etc)


When I served in YW we had a camp cook (she was also my Laurel Advisor) who had her husband bring this up on the last night. It was divine. A couple of years later she served as my Education Counselor in RS and served this at our Birthday Social. I got the recipe from her and her husband threw in some real Hawaiian Sea Salt as they lived there for about 6 years. I have made it many times since, but usually in big proportions as it’s great for funerals (in place of tired ham), fam get togethers, dinners etc. It’s relatively cheap, goes a long way, and has a rich flavor. Oh, and it’s very easy. Everyone loves it.

Since I usually cook a lot at a time, I use my turkey roasting pan (with 2 big shoulder roasts) and cook it in the oven and turns out fine. I double the ingredients and cook it at about 270 for about 10-12 hours. If you are using the oven method instead of the crockpot, make sure you cover the pan with aluminum foil and then put on lid.

Kalua Pig

5-6 lb pork butt or pork shoulder roast (shoulder and butt are the same cut, btw)
Crushed garlic
Hawaiian sea salt (coarse)
¼ cup water
1 1/2 to 2 Tbsp. liquid smoke (we like Wright’s)

Score the meat with a sharp knife. Rub the pork roast generously with crushed garlic, and then generously with sea salt. Add ¼ cup of water to the crock pot, then add the roast. Pour the liquid smoke on top of the roast, and sprinkle pork with more salt (about a teaspoon or so.) Cook on low for 10-15 hours in the crock pot. The pork should shred very easily when cooked. Serve with rice or on rolls. Makes 12 servings.

Beef Burgundy (in a crock pot)


Lately I have been using my crock pot more due to trying to fit dinner somewhere in between other demands (like playing with Cate, the Society of Relief, and reading) I came across this little gem (from the Simple Dollar, btw) and tried it about a month ago. It's a keeper, as it has great flavor. Only caution is if you’re going to leave this on for more than eight hours, add an extra half a cup of water before you go. The biggest danger for cooking things in a crock pot longer than that is having the food dry out. I served it over noodles, but could use rice instead.

Beef Burgundy

2 slices bacon - cooked and chopped (again I used the Real Bacon Bits from Costco, as I'm lazy like that)

2 pounds sirloin tips cut into small cubes (one inch or so)

1 garlic clove (again, people get the Big Jar of minced garlic from Costco, fast, easy, and no mess and it keeps a long time in your fridge)
1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon seasoned salt

1/4 teaspoon marjoram

1/4 teaspoon thyme

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

1 beef boullion cube, crushed

1 cup red wine (I used grape juice instead, duh)
2 tablespoons corn starch

2 tablespoons water

4 ounces fresh mushrooms

Chop up bacon and sirloin tips and cook them in a skillet for several minutes along with the garlic clove. While the meat is cooking, put everything else together except for the mushrooms, corn starch, and water in the crock pot and stir it.
Dump in the entire contents of the skillet, stir the mixture, and set it on low. Leave for work, churching, shopping, reading, etc Come home, mix together the corn starch and water, pour that in, add the mushrooms, and kick it up to high for 15 final minutes. Serve.

Thursday, May 29, 2008

White Chocolate Popcorn


3 Pkg- Orville R. Movie Popcorn, pop and remove unpopped kernels.

2 C. (heaping) white molding chocolate. Microwave 1 min. on HI stirring every 20 to 30 sec.

Drop 4-5 drops of Pina Colada Flavoring into the chocolate and stir.

Pour mixture over popcorn coating well and enjoy.

Wednesday, May 28, 2008

Fried Pasta


My very first convert in the mission introduced me and my companion (the former Sister Harrison) to this divine dish. She cooked it for us one afternoon before our appointment. Mmm...I then introduced it to all of my companions and Sister Harrison did the same. Needless to say, it quickly made it's fame known around the mish. All sisters were chowing down on this delight. It's super quick and easy!

Bring a pot of water to a boil, water should taste salty. Cook your pasta (however much you want. I usually use 12-16oz.) While the pasta is being prepared...
Chop several cloves of garlic (depending on your garlic taste--I use about 4 cloves)
Slice several (about 5-7) sundried tomatoes. (You can use the kind that come in the jar with oil--not my favorite, or you can use the packaged kind--which I recommend)
 Sautee garlic and tomatoes in LOTS of olive oil (extra virgin). Be sure to not let them get brown, you just want them soft.


When the pasta is done, drain it and throw it into the same saucepan as the garlic and tomatoes. Cook until slightly crunchy.

Then add dried Basil, a thick layer on top, then mix.
Use a good slice of cream cheese or goats cheese in the pasta...Stir and let it coat the pasta.


And finally, grate some cheese (of your choice--I prefer mozzarella) on top and Viola! Prepare your taste buds!! Mmmm...



Tuesday, May 27, 2008

Absolute Best Mexican Cornbread

I am a closet foodie. There I said it. You would'nt know by the frequency of meals I prepare for my family. But when I do I want it to be gourmet . Why waste the calories if it isnt fabulous. otherwise i can just have a diet coke and a candy bar. This recipe is the best cornbread ever. It is cake like and almost like Grandma Rose's Green corn tamales.

1 cup of butter
1 cup white sugar
4 eggs
1(15 ounce) can cream corn
1/2 (4 ounce) can chopped green chile peppers, drained
1/2 cup shredded monterey jack cheese
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1 cup all purpose flour
1 cup yellow cornmeal
4 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt

1.preheat oven to 300 degrees lightly grease 9x13 baking dish
2. large bowl beat together butter and sugar. beat in eggs one at a time. blend in cream corn, chiles, monterey jack and cheddar cheese.
3. in a separate bowl, stir together flour , cornmeal, baking powder, and salt. add flour mixture to corn mixture; stir until smooth. pour batter into prepared pan.
4. bake in oven 1 hour. until toothpick inserted into center of the pan comes out clean.

Then glaze with Honey butter . (melt 1/4 cup of butter and 1cup of honey in microwave)
Delish

Monday, May 26, 2008

Monday FHE


Last semester when ld had BYU students coming to our house once a month for FHE we discussed the possibility of putting together about 4 ready made home evenings. This is because we had on a couple of occasions been burned by, how shall I put it kindly, some of their unbelievable lack of preparation, as in reading one tiny scripture and then calling it a lesson.

We all sat around staring at each other awkwardly after that. So, being the supportive spouse, I put together a little computer file of ready made, on the spot, what to do in a pinch Home Evenings. As we never wanted that to happen again. Anyhoo, here is a little recipe/activity that I thought might be fun. Granted, we never used it for that group, but I had done it way back in the day when I was a student. I’m sharin’, just in case you need it in a pinch.

Scripture Cake (Spice Cake)

(You might read the scripture references to the fam and let them figure out what the ingredients are)

2 cups 1 Kings 4:22 (flour)
1 ½ cups Jeremiah 6:20 (sugar)
2 teaspoons Amos 4:5 (1 tsp baking soda and 1 tsp baking powder)
2 Chronicles 9:9 (spices – 1 tsp. cinnamon; ¼ tsp ground cloves, ¼ tsp nutmeg)
Pinch of Leviticus 2:13 (salt)
1 cup Judges 4:19, last clause (milk)
½ cup Judges 5:25, last clause (butter)
3 large Jeremiah 17:11 (eggs)

Note: may add ½ tsp vanilla, if desired.

Heat oven to 350. Grease sides and bottoms of 13 x 9 pan.
In a bowl combine 1 Kings, Jeremiah 6:20, Amos, 2 Chronicles and Leviticus.
Add Judges 4:19 and 5:25. Beat with an electric mixer on medium speed until combined. Beat two minutes on high.
Add Jeremiah 17:11 and beat two minutes more.
Pour batter into pan. Bake for 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.
Cool on wire rack.

Sunday Snackie


Usually on Sunday I try to have some munchies or snackies around as my chilluns' have enormous sweet teethies. You know, stuff like, Kit Kats, Italian Icees, Brownies, etc. Also, sometimes I need to take a treat around to someone in the ward. Well, that's how I justify making it. Anyway, my fav quicky treat to make is one Kathleen gave me years ago and one I published in the original Arnett Family Cookbook. I made it yesterday.

Carmel Corn

(I have made this recipe so much I can do it by heart. This is Brig’s fav. It’s soooo easy and it stays soft. But please only use real butter. It makes all the diff)

2 cups brown sugar
1 cup corn syrup
1 cup butter

Boil the above mixture just barely. Add ¾ teaspoon soda and stir. Pour over 2-3 batches of popcorn. ( I use microwave popcorn, because I’m so lazy)

Kathleen's recipe (and now mine too:)

Sunday Dinner at my house


I meant to post a pic of the tetrazzini before we all chowed down on it but I got distracted, besides everyone was hungry. I will do better next time, with the pic taking I mean.

The menu:

• Chicken Tetrazinni
• Rigatoni (ordinarily I don’t fix two main courses but did so for B.Gomer as he doesn’t like mushrooms and the Tetrazinni had some in it. I know, I know, I spoil my chillun’s)
• Green Salad
• Three Bean Salad
• French Bread
• Mango Juice (with little frozen juice cups that I freeze in my muffin tins)
• Pineapple Cake I sorta made up (white cake, with whipped cream and ½ cup sour cream with little bit of powdered sugar and a can of pineapple)
• Strawberry Ice Cream (storebought, it wasn’t that good, and I forgot Megs doesn’t like Strawberry Ice Cream)


Verdict: I thought the Tetrazinni quite good, although the comment ‘we used to call this Tuna Noodle Casserole when I was growing up’ was quite unappreciated and belays an unsophisticated food palette. Really, ld, there’s a discernable difference. Hmmph!

At any rate here are the recipes. I am always looking for make ahead stuff because Sundays are busy at our house and I’m always flustered. If dinner isn’t mostly prepared before church, it ain’t happenin’.

Chicken Tetrazzini

Serves 8-10

9 Tablespoons butter
2 Tablespoons olive oil
4 boneless skinless chicken breasts (but I used leftover roasted chicken)
2 ¼ teaspoons salt
1 ¼ teaspoons pepper
1 pound white mushrooms, sliced
1 onion, chopped ( I put onion in my food processor as some fam members won’t eat it if the chunks are too big)
5 cloves garlic, minced (I have a big jar of Costco’s minced garlic that I keep in my fridge, It’s the only way to go)
1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme leaves (I used 1 tsp. dried)
½ cup dry white wine (obviously, I didn’t use this, used broth instead)
1/3 cup flour
4 cups whole milk, at room temp
1 cup heavy whipping cream, at room temp ( I know, I know, you’ll wear this on your hips)
1 cup chicken broth
1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
12 ounces linguine or penne
¾ cup frozen peas (I put in about a cup and a half, as I really like peas)
¼ cup chopped fresh parsley leaves (I used dried)
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
¼ cup dried Italian style breadcrumbs (I used chopped up croutons that I mashed up with a 15 pound dumbbell as I ran out of breadcrumbs)

Preheat oven to 450 (yeah, that hot). Spread 1 tablespoon butter over 13 by 9 baking dish. Melt 1 tablespoon each of butter and oil in frying pan over medium high heat. Sprinkle the chicken with ½ teaspoon each of salt and pepper. Add the chicken to the pan and cook until just cooked through, about 4 min. Transfer chicken to a plate to cool a bit. Coarsely shred the chicken into bite-size pieces and into a large bowl.

Meanwhile, add 1 tablespoon each of butter and oil to the same pan. Add the mushrooms and sauté over med high heat until the mushrooms became pale golden, about 12 minutes. Add the onion, garlic, and thyme, and sauté until onion is clear. Add the wine (or whatever you are substituting with) and simmer until it evaporates, about 2 min. Transfer the mushroom mixture to the bowl with the chidken.

Melt 3 more tablespoons butter in the same pan over medium-low heat. Add the flour and whisk for 2 minutes. Whisk in the milk, cream, broth, nutmeg, remaining 1 3/4 teaspoons salt, and remaining 3/4 teaspoon pepper. Increase heat to high. Cover and bring to a boil. Simmer, uncovered, until the sauce thickens slightly, whisking often, about 10 minutes.

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the linguine or penne and cook until it is tender but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally, about 9 minutes. Drain. Add the linguine, sauce, peas, and parsley to the chicken mixture. Toss until the sauce coats the pasta and the mixture is well blended. Transfer the pasta mixture to the prepared baking dish. (Can assemble ahead to this point).

Stir the cheese and breadcrumbs in a small bowl to blend. Sprinkle the cheese mixture over the pasta. Dot with the remaining 3 tablespoons of butter. Bake, uncovered, until golden brown on top and the sauce bubbles, about 25 minutes.

________________________________

Baked Rigatoni

Serves 8-10

1 pound dry ziti pasta or rigatoni
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 pound lean ground beef
Salt and pepper, to taste
2 (26 ounces each) jars spaghetti sauce (such as Classico or Barilla)
6 ounces provolone cheese, sliced
1 1/2 cups sour cream
6 ounces mozzarella cheese, shredded
1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil.
Add pasta, and cook until al dente, about 8 minutes; drain.

In a large skillet, brown onion, garlic and ground beef over
medium heat. Season with salt and pepper. Add spaghetti sauce, and simmer about 20 minutes.

Preheat oven to 350.

Butter a 9 x 13 baking dish. Layer as follows: 1/2 of the
ziti, all the Provolone cheese and sour cream, 1/2 sauce mixture,
remaining ziti or rigatoni, mozzarella cheese and remaining sauce mixture.
Top with grated Parmesan cheese. Bake for 30 minutes in the preheated oven, or until cheeses are melted.

Saturday, May 24, 2008

We’re Up And Running



Here rellys, (that’s short for relatives) we’re in business. The Official anti-A.S.S. recipe/foodie blog. It works like this, if you have a recipe you wanna share, then email me your email addy and ld will add you on as an author/participator big wig with all the rights and privileges of posting. Such fun. We will all get to see what we’re having for Sunday dinner. Please share and anything goes. This is not a food snob site as I will be posting family comfort foods as well as fancy pants cuisine. Also, I will be posting (eventually) the whole Arnett Family Cookbook that I put together a long, long time ago. Dust off your recipes, o ye domestic diva rellys!

P.S. Don't forget to label your recipe by category (i.e. Main Dish, Dessert, Appetizers, Beverages, Salads, This 'n That, Breads and Rolls, Cookies, Cakes, and Candies...also your name) for future quick reference.