Recipe Friday - Taco Casserole

This is one of those recipes that doesn't make sense but then ends up being wonderful.  It would freeze well also making it great to double and pull out for those busy nights.

Taco Casserole

Macaroni and Cheese (recipe coming soon), prepared
1 cup salsa
1 cup sour cream
1/2 pound ground beef
Taco Seasoning (recipe coming soon)
1 cup crushed tortilla chips or taco shells (use the crumbs in the bottom of the chip bag)
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese


Preheat oven to 350, grease 8x8 baking dish.  Brown beef and add seasoning, set aside.  Layer in pan: macaroni and cheese, salsa, sour cream, taco meat, cheese.  Bake for 20 minutes, cover with crushed tortilla chips and bake for another 5-10 minutes until chips are golden.

Serve with salad.

Recipe Friday - Banana Bread

I'm not sure how this turned out as well as it did.  I only had two bananas, I wanted to add squash to it, and then I started to make the recipe and realized that I didn't have any eggs (I really should have checked first)!  I persisted and found some substitutes, put it in the oven while hoping for the best - and out came the best banana bread I've ever had!

Banana Bread
adapted from Deliciously Organic
3 tbsp butter
3 tbsp coconut oil
2 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
1 cup sugar
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
2 bananas, mashed
1/4 cup whey
1/2 cup applesauce
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup walnuts, chopped
 
Preheat oven to 350.  Melt butter and coconut oil in large bowl.  Stir in bananas, applesauce and whey.  Add flour, sugar, baking soda, salt and vanilla.  Mix until thoroughly combined, then stir in walnuts.  Pour into prepared loaf pan.  Bake 50-60 min until toothpick come out with only a few crumbs.  Cool completely before cutting.

Recipe Friday - Brownies

I have been making these brownies for as long as I can remember, in fact I can make them without pulling out the recipe! This recipe is easily doubled, or tripled! They also take about the same amount of time as a box mix, just keep all the ingredients on hand for brownies anytime the chocolate craving hits.

Chewy Fudge Brownies

1 stick butter (1/2 cup)

2 oz (2 squares) unsweetened/dark bakers chocolate

2 eggs

1 cup sugar

1/2 cup flour

1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp vanilla

1 cup nuts, chopped

In a small heatproof bowl melt chocolate and butter over simmering water.

In a large bowl combine eggs and sugar. Whisk in flour, salt and baking powder. Once chocolate/butter mixture is melted pour into flour/egg mixture and stir until combined. Stir in vanilla,and nuts if using. Pour into greased 8x8 baking pan. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean.

These will not last long!

Recipe Friday - French Onion Chicken

This week's menu plan didn't go as planned (more on that Monday) so this was a surprise meal! I am going to have to make a double batch next time; everyone gobbled it up! I adapted this recipe from French's Fried Onion Chicken.

French Onion Chicken

1 lb chicken tenders
1/4 cup Dijon mustard
1 cup mayo (Duke's please, if you don't have Duke's in your area I guess Hellman's is tolerable)
1 tbsp water
2 cups French's Fried Onions


Preheat oven to 400. Place onion in a zip top bag and crush, set aside. Combine mustard, mayo and water in bowl. Dip chicken into mustard mixture then toss in onions to coat. Place on baking sheet and cook 20 minutes until golden brown. Serve immediately.

I am warning you now - this will be a frequent request at your house!

Recipe Friday - Brunswick Stew

This is not the most traditional Brunswick stew recipe but it's a great one for a chilly fall day, it's my fall back when I run out of my freezer stash from fundraisers. You use the slow cooker and it can be frozen for a quick dinner later. I found the recipe in my Southern Living Slow Cooker cookbook. My modifications are in italics.

Chicken Brunswick Stew

2 large yellow onions, chopped
2 boneless, skinless chicken breast; 6 boneless, skinless chicken thighs
2 cans creamed corn
1 (28 oz) can crushed tomatoes
1 bottle chili sauce
1 quart chicken stock, preferably homemade
1/3 cup Worcestershire sauce
1 stick unsalted butter
2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
2 tsp dry mustard
Salt, Pepper
Hot sauce to taste

Add ingredients to slow cooker in order listed. Cover and cook 4 hours on high or 8-10 hours on low. Remove chicken and shred using 2 forks. Return meat to stew, stirring well. Serve hot with grilled cheese sandwiches or fresh baked bread with butter.

Recipe Friday - Cornbread

We had this Monday night with our Chicken Chili and it turned out really well. Since one of my goals this year is to cut out a lot of the processed and pre-packaged foods we use, i had to come up with a cornbread recipe. I sinned a little and didn't use the cast iron skillet (I know, the horrors!) but it still turned out well!

Cornbread

1 cup cornmeal (don't forget to store this in the fridge so it doesn't go bad)
1/2 cup flour
1/4 cup sugar
1 tbsp baking powder
1 can corn
Milk
4 tbsp butter melted
1 egg

Whisk dry ingredients together, set aside. Drain corn and add to liquid measure, fill with milk to 1 1/4 cup. Using immersion blender (this has become a kitchen must have), blend milk and corn leaving some whole kernels. Add with butter and egg to dry ingredients, stirring to combine.

Pour into greased 8 X 8 Pyrex dish (or greased preheated cast iron skillet) and bake at 350 for 30 minutes.

Serve warm with lots of butter!

Recipe Friday - Tenderloin Peanut Noodles

This is one of those throw together everything and hope it turns out meals. I wasn't sure how it would go but it turned out great! I, of course, used deer but I'm sure you could use chicken or beef.

Tenderloin Peanut Noodles

2 pounds tenderloin, sliced
2 tbsp soy sauce
1 cup teryaki sauce
1 tsp ginger
1 tsp garlic
1 tsp oregano
1/2 cup olive oil

1 packet stir fry seasoning
1 package Ramen noodles
3/4 cup peanut butter

1 package frozen stir fry veggies

Combine soy, teryaki, ginger, garlic, oregano and oil in zip top bag, add tenderloin and marinate at least overnight.

Combine stir fry seasoning packet, ramen seasoning packet and 1/4 cup water. Set aside. Cook noodles according to package and drain.

Heat skillet over medium high heat, add veggies and cook until tender crisp. Remove from pan. Add tenderloin and cook through. Remove from pan, leaving any liquid. Add seasoning mix and peanut butter to pan, stir until combined and thickened. Add back in tenderloin, noodles and veggies, remove from heat and toss to cover in sauce. Serve immediately.

Recipe Friday - White Chicken Chili

When Butterbean was born one of Chris' co-workers brought us White Chicken Chili for dinner, it was awesome! I had almost forgotten about it until I was trying to come up with something different for dinner. I tripled the recipe and left out some of the heat but it was great.

White Chicken Chili

1 lb ground chicken or turkey
1 onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 cans chopped green chilies
3 cans white beans (cannelloni or great northerns), 2 cans drained, the third can pureed.
1.5 qts chicken stock
1 tbsp cumin
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tbsp oregano
Salt and pepper to taste
Montery Jack Cheese, shredded

In large stock pot over medium heat cook onions until soft, add chicken and garlic. Cook until browned through. Add chilies and seasonings, saute 5 minutes. Add beans, chicken broth and pureed beans. Simmer over medium-low/low heat for 30 minutes. Serve topped with cheese.

Warning: this will make your house smell really good!

Recipe Friday - Baked Potato Soup

I found this recipe stashed in my monstrous recipe stack, I don't know where it came from so if it's yours let me know - I'm not trying to take credit for it!

I had some potatoes that needed to be used and it was cold, plus I thought the girls might actually eat it so onto the menu it went.

Pictures to come!

Baked Potato Soup

3 lbs potatoes

2/3 cup flour

6 cups milk

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp pepper

1 cup sour cream

Crumbled bacon

Wash and dry potatoes, wrap in foil and place in slow cooker. Cook on low 10 hours or bake in oven at 400 for 1 hour.

Mash potatoes and set aside.

Heat flour in large stock pot over medium heat. Whisk in milk slowly, continue stirring until milk thickens, about 10 minutes.

Stir in potatoes, cheese, salt and pepper. Using an immersion blender blend until desired consistency.

Remove from heat and stir in sour cream.

Serve topped with shredded cheese and crumbled bacon.

Both the girls loved this and so did I. I am going to attempt to freeze some of the leftovers to see if this can go on the freezer list, if not it only took me 20 minutes to pull together (letting the potatoes bake in the crock pot while at work) and get on the table. Served with a salad (for me) and fresh fruit (for the girls) it made a perfect quick dinner.

Recipe Friday - Chicken and Dumplings

This is one of our favorite dreary day, cheer up foods. It's quick too, perfect for after work when it's been a rough day. This could be easily adapted to be made even quicker by pre-chopping and freezing the veggies and chicken so all that needs to be done is cook.

Chicken and Dumplings

4 chicken breasts, cut into 1 inch cubes
4 carrots, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
4 celery stalks, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
1 onion, diced
2 tblsp olive oil or coconut oil
4 tblsp flour
2 quarts chicken stock (water will work too)
1 tblsp salt
1 tsp thyme (or poultry seasoning)
1 tsp herbs de provonce
1 tsp pepper

Dumplings
2 cups Bisquick
2/3 cup milk
or 1 recipe for biscuit dough

In a large stock pot over medium heat, add oil, carrots, onion and celery. Cook 5 minutes, add chicken and cook 10 minutes. Add flour, thyme, salt, pepper and herbs de provonce. Stir to coat chicken and veggies. Pour in stock, cover and simmer 15 minutes. Combine bisquick and milk, or prepare biscuit dough. Drop dumplings by tblsp into the simmering stock. Cover and simmer 10 minutes.

Serve hot.

Recipe Friday - Macaroni and Cheese

I have found Macaroni and Cheese Utopia! I don't have a recipe of my own to share but I had to put this link in. If Ladybug actually liked mac and cheese I would work my way through the recipes.

http://makingmemorieswithyourkids.blogspot.com/2011/09/crazy-cooking-challenge-creamy-macaroni.html

Enjoy!

Recipe Friday - Tomato Sauce

As promised here is how I make and can my tomato sauce.

Gather all the tomatoes you have, these are a combination from my garden and the CSA. (I saved the cherry tomatoes for salads)

Cut into quarters (or more), removing the hard center if necessary.

Place into a large stockpot.

Using a hand blender, roughly puree just to release some liquid to start the cooking. If you don't have a hand blender, puree using either your blender or food processor.

Allow to simmer over medium low heat until the tomatoes begin to break down, about an hour. Puree well and continue to cook over low to medium low heat until the sauce is at your desired consistency.

As the day wore on I forgot to continue taking pictures of the canning process. But I fill my quart jars and process at 10 psi for 10 minutes in my pressure canner. I use a pressure canner to avoid adding an acid to my sauce, I don't think it tastes right with lemon juice or vinegar added.

Here's the final result.

Recipe Friday - Rainbow Cupcakes

In keeping with the rainbow theme for Ladybug's birthday this year, I took rainbow cupcakes to school for her after lunch.

So how exactly do you make a rainbow cupcake? Easy!

Divide your cake batter into thirds and then color one third blue, another third yellow and the last third red. Spoon about a tablespoon of each color into the cups and bake as normal.

Ladybug says that they taste great but next year I think I'll just fill the cupcake liners with frosting - almost none of the kids in her class at the cake!

Now for the easiest and tastiest buttercream frosting:

Buttercream Frosting

2 cups butter or shortening or 1 cup of each*

1 tsp salt

2 tsp flavoring of your choice

1 cup water

3-4 pounds of powdered sugar

Cream butter/shortening, salt and flavoring until very smooth. Add sugar and water alternately. Once everything is incorporated beat on medium speed for 8 minutes. Frosting will be very soft at this point. Let chill for 10 minutes before using.

*Note - frosting will hold up better outside of the refrigerator if there is more shortening than butter but will taste better with more butter. Please balance your priorities accordingly.

Recipe Friday - Pickles

Not much to share this week since I wasn't cooking much. I did manage to can sweet and bread and butter pickles last weekend, 8 pints each.


Bread and Butter:





Sweet Pickles:

The applesauce and butter are all that are left from last fall . The apple pie filling was gone quickly.

I don't have any pictures but I will share my rotisserie chicken recipe:

Rotisserie Chicken

1 whole chicken, insides removed

Rosemary, Thyme, Sage - fresh is best

Butter and coconut oil

Combine herbs and butter, set aside. Run hands under the skin to loosen from meat. Spread butter mix under skin. Rub outside of chicken with coconut oil, salt and pepper to taste. Arrange chicken on spit and cook 1.5 to 2 hours depending on size.

This can be used to roast the chicken also, just add 1 onion, quartered, 3-4 cloves garlic and 1 lemon, halved to the inside of the chicken and roast as normal.

Don't forget to save the carcass for making stock!

Recipe Friday - Egg Custard Pie

I have been on the hunt for the perfect Egg Custard Pie. This is one of the desserts that I remember so well from my childhood and my Great Aunt Lucille made the best (lemon chess too). Well as people from her generation did she didn't measure or write anything down, leaving the rest of us to pine away for her pies. She used to even make me my own to take home after the family reunion. I think I have finally found the right combination - creamy, smooth center and crisp top. It even looks perfect ( I promise I didn't eat the missing quarter)-

This recipe is so easy, I think it took me 3 minutes to get it into the oven and all you need is a bowl and whisk.

Egg Custard Pie

3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted
2 cups Sugar
2 tbsp Flour
1 cup Whole milk
4 eggs

2 tsp Vanilla extract
9 in Pie crust, unbaked

Whisk butter and sugar together, add flour and whisk until smooth. Stir in milk and vanilla. Pour into pie crust. Bake on a cookie sheet (please save your oven) at 375 for 50 minutes. If the top starts to brown to much tent with foil, being careful not to let the foil touch the pie. Remove from oven and let cool 1 hour. Can be served warm (if you are impatient like me) or chilled overnight in the fridge.
Please practice patience and let it chill, it is much better chilled (but still delicious warm if God is still helping you in the patience department).

Recipe Friday - Asian Marinade

No pictures just a quick and easy recipe this week. This marinade works well on venison hindquarter, bear, tenderloin, steak and chicken. We use it mostly on venison and it really tenderizes the hindquarter well.

Asian Marinade

1/4 cup lime juice
1/4 cup soy sauce
3/4 cup teriyaki sauce
1 tbsp rice wine vinegar
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 handful fresh oregano, minced
1 cup olive oil
1 tbsp chili oil and sesame oil (optional)

Combine first six ingredients, whisk in oils until combined. Pour over meats and let marinate overnight.

Grill or an sear meats to desired doneness*.

*I promise this is a real word - just don't look it up.

Recipe Friday - Dill Pickles

I don't really have a recipe to share today so I will show you what became of those 13 pounds of cucumbers we received on Saturday.

16 pints of dill pickles. That only took 10 pounds so I still have 3 and will probably make some relish out of those. I have plans for the next haul also - bread and butter pickles and sweet pickles.

Chris helped me out with this batch -handing me jars and screwing on lids. He has decided that canning is too much work - we will see what he thinks when we break open the first jar in about 4 weeks.

Recipe Friday - Peanut Butter Cup Ice Cream

Without a doubt the biggest hit this week was the Peanut Butter Cup Ice Cream. In fact I had to quickly get a picture of what was left before Chris ate it all! We started with about a quart and a half.

Peanut Butter Cup Ice Cream

2 cups smooth peanut butter

3/4 cup powdered sugar

2 cups half and half (heavy cream* if you are feeling indulgent)

1 cup whole milk

1 tbsp vanilla

8-10 peanut butter cups, coarsely chopped

Cream peanut butter and sugar together until smooth. Slowly incorporate milks and vanilla until well combined. Freeze according to ice cream freezer's instructions. Add chopped peanut butter cups during last 10 minutes of freezing. Scoop into freezer containers and freeze for 2 hours prior to serving.

*This will help it to not freeze as hard when stored in the freezer. Another option would be to add 2 tbsp of vodka (or a chocolate liquor) before freezing to help keep it more scoopable. Remember that the alcohol will not be cooked out of the ice cream if added.

Recipe Friday - Cole Slaw

So we didn't really stick to the menu this week so I can't tell you what was a hit and what wasn't. We did have the tacos and salmon but that was about it. I made Chili-mac on Tuesday and we had pizza at Costco on Wednesday. Chris decided he wanted to smoke something for Father's day so we had ribs and a Boston butt (which was wonderful!!!). I did make Cole slaw and thought it turned out really well. I also made a roasted vegetable quinoa to go with the salmon.

Cole Slaw

1 small head cabbage (about softball size)
1 small head purple cabbage (about softball size)
1 carrot
1 cup mayonnaise (Duke's for us)
2 tbsp sugar
1/3 cup white vinegar
1/4 tsp ground mustard
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
pinch cumin

Shred cabbages and carrot using food processor or shred by hand. Combine mayo, sugar, vinegar, mustard, salt, pepper and cumin in bowl, stir to combine. (I usually use the mayo jar if it's almost empty and add all the ingredients to it and shake)

Combine cabbage mixture and mayonnaise mixture in bowl until combined. Chill for several hours and stir before serving.

Recipe Friday - Roasted Broccoli

We have signed up for a CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) this year and I am excited about the fresh produce we have been receiving. I am enjoying being able to show Ladybug fresh foods that we may otherwise not get at the store and having to be creative in preparing it. Chris is not the most adventurous eater and really doesn't like vegetables, I have created quite the challenge for myself. The first week we received turnips (and greens), broccoli, lettuce, spinach, rosemary and thyme. I did not realize how much of an education this would be for my family as Chris looked in the box and said 'no one in this house eats radishes' - 'Those are turnips Honey'.

Anyways back to the recipe - Getting Chris and Ladybug to eat Broccoli, otherwise known as Roasted Broccoli

1 head of Broccoli cut into 'trees'
olive oil or coconut oil (about 2 tablespoons)
4-5 cloves of garlic, minced or sliced depending on preference
salt
Pepper

Toss everything together and spread on baking pan. Roast at 350 for 25-30 minutes.

I knew this was a keeper when there was barely any left for dinner after Chris kept walking through the kitchen and eating it off of the pan!