Saturday, March 28, 2009

Biscuits

This dough will keep in the refrigerator for up to a week for quick biscuits any night. We loves these biscuits. Crunchy on the outside and soft in the middle, a way a biscuit should be.

Yields: 3 dozen biscuits.

Ingredients:
1 package dry yeast
1/2 cup warm water
5 cups flour
3 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup shortening or butter
2 cups buttermilk

Directions:
Dissolve yeast in warm water. Let stand 10 minutes.

Sift flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt into a large bowl. Cut in the shortening or butter with a pastry cutter or two knives.

Combine buttermilk, and dissolved yeast. Stir into dry mixture, working only until moistened.

Put in a large, plastic container. Cover and refrigerate several hours before baking. Dough can be stored for up to one week, remember.

Carefully roll out on a well floured surface half-inch thick. Cut with a 2 1/2 inch biscuit cutter. Place on greased baking sheet. Bake at 400 degrees for about 15 minutes or until golden.

Homemeade Oreo Cookies

I made these with my sister in law, Hallie, a while ago. Big hit with kids and so easy and delicious and just great!

Yields: 2 dozen cookies

Ingredients:
1 box devil's food cake mix (I prefer Betty Crocker Brand)
3/4 cup butter or margarine, softened
2 eggs
1 (8 oz) package cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup butter
2 Tablespoons vanilla
2 cups powdered sugar

Directions:
In a large bowl combine cake mix, the 3/4 cup butter, and eggs. Chill about 1o minutes. Roll into small balls. Place on a greased baking sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for 7 to 9 minutes.

To prepare filling, beat cream cheese, the 1/2 cup butter, and vanilla together. Add powdered sugar and mix together. Spread filling on top of cookie, and then top with another cookie.

Mango Salsa

Refreshing. I love this sweet twist on salsa. We love it especially on top of grilled chicken. Enjoy!

1/2 medium onion, chopped
2 tablespoons olive oil or butter
2 ripe mangoes, peeled, seeded, and diced
1 fresh red pepper, chopped
2 tablespoons chopped cilantro
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 tablespoon minced green onion

Directions:
Saute onion in olive oil or butter until lightly browned. Toss all ingredients together gently.

Serving Suggestions;
Delicious with chips or served on top of halibut or grilled chicken.

Parmesan Chicken

I made this on Valentines Day. Yummy and easy, that is my kind of recipe.

Serves: 8

Ingredients:
2 cups crushed Ritz crackers
3 Tablespoons grated parmesan cheese
2 teaspoons garlic salt
8 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 cup plain yogurt
1/4 cup butter, melted
1 recipe sour cream chicken sauce (recipe under chicken enchilada heading in main course)

Directions:
Combine cracker crumbs, parmesan cheese, and garlic salt. Dip each piece of chicken in yogurt to coat and then in crumb mixture. Arrange in greased 9 by 13 inch baking dish. Drizzle with melted butter. Bake at 350 degrees for about 45 minutes. Top with sour cream chicken sauce, if desired.

Chicken Enchiladas

I LOVE enchiladas. This recipe is easy and is restaurant style quality. So good and filling.

Yields: 10 enchiladas

Ingredients:
2 cups chopped cooked chicken
1 cup sour cream
1 (7 oz.) can mild chopped green chilies
1 cup chopped onion
2 Tablespoon butter
1/2 tespoon salt
4 cups Monterey Jack Cheese
10 flour tortillas
1 (15 oz) can mild enchilada sauce
Green onions to garnish, chopped

Directions:
Combine chicken, sour cream, and green chilies. Set aside.

In another pan, saute onions in butter until golden. Add onion, salt, and 2 cups cheese to chicken mixture. Dip tortillas in enchilada sauce to soften.

Spoon about 1/2 cup chicken mixture into each tortilla. Roll up and place close together in 2 greased 9 by 13 inch pans (5 enchilads per pan).

Cover with remaining cheeese (1 cup per pan). Bake uncovered at 350 degrees for 20 to 30 minutes. Garnish with chopped green chilies.

Note:
I have made this same recipe, but instead of red sauce, I made chicken sour cream sauce. Delicious either way.

Recipe for Chicken Sour Cream Sauce:
2 (10 3/4-ounce) cans cream of chicken soup, undiluted
1 cup sour cream

Homemade French Bread

This is a little time consuming, but it is so much better than store bought french bread. I got this recipe from one of my favorite cookbooks called, The Essential Mormon Cookbook by Julie Badger Jensen.

Yields: Two loaves of bread

Ingredients:
2 1/2 cups warm water
2 Tablespoons sugar
2 Tablespoons dry yeast
1 Tablespoon salt
2 Tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil
6 cups flour
1 egg, beaten
Optional: Sesame seeds or poppy seeds

Directions:
In a large bowl combine water, sugar, and yeast. Let stand for about 5 minutes or until foamy.

Stir in salt, oil, and 3 cups of flour. Stir vigorously. Add remaining 3 cups of flour and mix well.

Let stand 10 minutes. Stir down. Repeat this process 5 times, which will take one hour. Place dough onto a floured board. Knead only enough to coat dough with flour so it can be handled; divide in half.

Roll into two rectangles about 9 by 12 inches long. Roll up from long side. Moisten seam with small amount of water and pinch to seal. Arrange both loaves lengthwise on a large, well greased cookie sheet. Place seam side down. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise 30-45 minutes.

Glaze with beaten egg (brush on gently). And, if using, sprinkle with sesame seeds or poppy seeds. Use a very sharp knife to gently make 3 diagnol gashes in the top of each loaf.

Bake at 375 degrees for 25-30 minutes. Remove to cooling racks and cover with a towel (this keeps the crust soft). Serve warm.

Citrus Soy Chicken, Pork, or Shrimp Stir Fry

Another Rachael Ray favorite. Very inexpensive and healthy for you too. Chris hates stir fry, BUT he loved this. The sauce is amazing. I made it with pork and served over whole wheat spaghetti.

Serves: 4

Ingredients:

•1/2 cup chicken or vegetable stock
•1/2 cup Tamari (dark, aged soy sauce)
•1-inch knob ginger, peeled and left whole
•1 cup orange marmalade
•Freshly ground black pepper
•Juice of 1 lemon
•3 tablespoons peanut or canola oil
•2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into thin strips or boneless pork chops, cut into thin strips or medium shrimp, deveined and tail-on
•3 scallions, thinly sliced on a bias
•1 cup shelled edamame (about 2 big handfuls), defrosted, if frozen
•1 small red bell pepper, seeded and thinly sliced
•1 cup snow or sugar snap peas (about 2 big handfuls)
•1 cup shredded carrots
•4 cups cooked white or brown rice or 1 pound cooked whole wheat noodles

Preparation:

In a medium size pot over high heat, combine the stock, Tamari, ginger knob, marmalade and a hearty pinch of pepper. Bring up to a bubble, then reduce the heat to medium and reduce until thickened, about 20 minutes. Remove from the heat, stir in the lemon juice and reserve.

Place a large skillet over medium-high heat with three turns of the pan of oil, about 3 tablespoons. When the pan is smoking hot, add the meat or shrimp to the pan and cook, tossing frequently, until golden and cooked through; 5-6 minutes for the shrimp or 7-8 minutes for the meat. Remove the meat from the pan and reserve on a plate.

Return the pan to the heat, add the scallions and sauté until tender and aromatic, about 1 minute. Add the remaining veggies to the pan and cook, stirring frequently, until crisp tender, 4-5 minutes. Add the reserved meat or shrimp and sauce to the pan and toss to heat through and combine. Serve the stir fry over rice or whole wheat noodles.

Slow Cooker Pulled Pork

This recipe makes the most moist pulled pork. So good! Great recipe if you are short on time.

Serves: 8

Ingredients:

1 (2 pound) pork tenderloin
1 (12 fluid ounce) can or bottle root beer
1 (18 ounce) bottle your favorite barbecue sauce
8 hamburger buns, split and lightly toasted

DIRECTIONS

1.Place the pork tenderloin in a slow cooker; pour the root beer over the meat. Cover and cook on low until well cooked and the pork shreds easily, 6 to 7 hours. Note: the actual length of time may vary according to individual slow cooker. Drain well. Stir in barbecue sauce. Serve over hamburger buns.

Chicken Thigh Pie

Thank you to Rachael Ray. This recipe is what she calls a meal for a steal, a meal for under 10 dollars. I make this often. So yummy!

Yields: 6

Ingredients:

6 sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch dice
1 tablespoon EVOO - Extra Virgin Olive Oil
2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into bite-sized pieces
Salt and ground black pepper
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons flour
1 cup chicken stock
1/4 cup orange or pineapple juice
1/2 cup barbecue sauce
4 scallions, thinly sliced
1 cup frozen peas, defrosted
2 boxes cornbread mix, such as Jiffy brand
2 eggs
2/3 cup milk

Preparation

Preheat oven to 400°F (for Jiffy) for the cornbread.
Place a medium saucepan over medium-high heat with the sweet potatoes and enough cold water to cover them. Bring the water up to a bubble, then reduce the heat to medium and boil the sweet potatoes until tender, about 15 minutes. Drain the cooked potatoes and reserve.

While the potatoes are cooking, place a large skillet over medium-high heat with 1 turn of the pan of EVOO, about 1 tablespoon. Season the chicken thighs with salt and pepper, and add to the hot pan. Cook the chicken, stirring occasionally, until golden brown, about 5 minutes.

Remove the browned chicken to a plate and add the butter to the pan to melt. Sprinkle the flour over the melted butter and cook for about a minute. Whisk the stock and juice into the butter-flour mixture and cook until thickened, about 1 minute. Add the barbecue sauce, scallions, peas, reserved chicken and potatoes to the pan, and stir to combine. Season again with salt and pepper and transfer to a casserole dish (9 by 13).

Prepare cornbread batter according to package directions. Spread over the top of the casserole and bake until the bread is cooked through, about 20 minutes.

Wednesday, March 25, 2009

Strawberry Topping For Cheesecake

I also found this at allrecipes.com. Amazing! Restaurant style quality. Put on top of cheesecake, icecream, etc.

Yields: 4 servings

INGREDIENTS

1 pint strawberries, cleaned and stemmed
1/3 cup white sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla

DIRECTIONS

1.Cut all of the strawberries in half. In a saucepan over medium high heat, combine 2/3 of the strawberries, sugar and vanilla. Cook, stirring occasionally, until sauce thickens, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat. In a blender, puree the thickened sauce, then mix in the other 1/3. Store in refrigerator.

New York Style Cheesecake

Made this for Chris's birthday. Delicious! Best homemade cheesecake I have ever had. Got it from one of my favorite websites: allrecipes.com.

Ingredients:

15 graham crackers, crushed
2 tablespoons butter, melted

4 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese
1 1/2 cups white sugar
3/4 cup milk
4 eggs
1 cup sour cream
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1/4 cup all-purpose flour

DIRECTIONS

1.Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease a 9 inch springform pan.

2.In a medium bowl, mix graham cracker crumbs with melted butter. Press onto bottom of springform pan.

3.In a large bowl, mix cream cheese with sugar until smooth. Blend in milk, and then mix in the eggs one at a time, mixing just enough to incorporate. Mix in sour cream, vanilla and flour until smooth. Pour filling into prepared crust.

4.Bake in preheated oven for 1 hour. Turn the oven off, and let cake cool in oven with the door closed for 5 to 6 hours; this prevents cracking. Chill in refrigerator until serving.

Notes:
Cheesecake must be made the day before.
Bake in a water bath for best results.
Do not overbeat. This will cause cheesecake to crack.
MAKE SURE ALL INGREDIENTS ARE AT ROOM TEMPERATURE!!!

Thursday, March 12, 2009

Roasted Sweet Potatoes and Potatoes

My mom gave me this recipe as well. Easy, yummy side dish for a meat and potatoes dinner.

Yields: 4-6 people

2 sweet potatoes
4 small russet potatoes
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Sea Salt, Kosher, or Iodized Salt

Peel Potatoes. Wash and Cut into bite sized pieces. Place in a 9 by 13 baking dish. Drizzle potatoes with E.V.O.O. just enough to coat potatoes. Sprinkle with salt. Stir all together in the dish.

Bake covered with aluminum foil at 375 degrees for 30-45 minutes. They should be fork tender.