Our Recipe Club

I have a friend Brit and she is so talented, crafty, creative and most of all sweet. She has amazing ideas for everything. She is a fabulous cook. I just recently joined her Recipe club and I love it! She has a Recipe Blog though and you need to go there. She has great tips, ideas, and recipes. For the Christmas Season she is doing some fab posts on wrapping your homemade goods. She has cute printable recipe cards. The whole nine yards really. So go visit here.

Best Sweet Potatoes

Best Sweet Potatoes

4 Pounds Yams

2 Eggs

1 1/2 Cups Brown Sugar

12 T. Butter

1 t. Salt

2 T. Cinnamon

1 t. Allspice 

1/2 t. Nutmeg

Boil yams until soft. When cool remove skin and place in large bowl. Beat until smooth adding one egg at a time. Add the rest of the ingredients and beat until combine and smooth. Spread in baking dish. Then sprinkle with 1/2 cup Brown Sugar and 1/2 cup melted Butter. 

Bake @ 375 for 25 minutes. 

These are our family favorite. We all love them even the kids. 

They are our Thanksgiving must have.

Chocolate Strawberry Pie

CHOCOLATE STRAWBERRY DELIGHT

Crust:
24 chocolate graham cracker squares finely chopped
½ C butter
¼ C sugar
Combine in a bowl and press in a pie tin

Filling:
1 12oz. container cook whip
1 pkg instant chocolate pudding (3.9 oz not prepared)
1 C. sour cream
Combine in bowl

Topping:
1 oz. semi sweet chocolate
2 t. butter
Melt together and stir until smooth

1 pint strawberries, washed and sliced

Pour ½ filling in pie crust. Add sliced strawberries. Pour remaining filling over strawberries. Drizzle with topping.

Red Pepper Pasta

ROASTED RED PEPPER PASTA

2 roasted red peppers
Or
1 jar roasted red peppers
Blend together with:
1 bar cream cheese
Salt and pepper to taste
1 clove garlic
Parmesan cheese (1/2 c or so)
Pour over cooked bowtie pasta and mix in ½ bag of frozen peas.
Delicious!!!

this is one of my favorite meals in all the world!

Roasted Red Pepper Dip

ROASTED RED PEPPER DIP

4 red peppers or
2 jars roasted red peppers
To roast: spray cookie sheet. Cut peppers in half, lay face down on cookie sheet. When skins bubble and shrivel, they are done

Put in food processor with:
2C. sour cream
3 pkg. cream cheese
1t. salt
½ t. paprika
½ t. cayenne pepper.

Spinach Artichoke Dip

SPINACH ARTICHOKE DIP

14 oz. can artichoke hearts (drained and chopped)
5 oz. frozen spinach (thaw, drain and chop)
½ C sour cream
½ C mayonnaise
1t. garlic (crushed)
Roma tomatoes

Mix together and bake at 350 for 30 minutes

Serve with corn chips, baguettes, French bread etc.

Salad De Maison

SALAD DE MAISON

2 heads Romaine lettuce (washed and torn)
1 lb. bacon fried crisp
1lb. Swiss cheese shredded
1 pkg. slivered almonds toasted
1 box croutons
1-2 C. parmesan cheese
2 C. Cubed cooked chicken
Cherry tomatoes washed and halved

Dressing
(let sit at least 4 hours*)
¾ C. vegetable oil
3 cloves real garlic (minced)
Juice of one lemon (a real one at room temperature)
2t. salt
1t. pepper

Put this salad together right before you are going to serve it. Mix all salad ingredients first without croutons. Take dressing and strain it to get rid of big chunks of garlic. Add dressing and croutons to salad.
Perfect for big groups and so delicious.

*this dressing is delicious and is even better made the night before.

sorry no picture.

Russian Cream

Russian Cream

Heat 3 cups heavy whipping cream

1/2 cup brown sugar till dissolved

Empty 1 package 1 oz. gelatine in 1 cup boiling water. 

Cool until warm 

When warm mix with cream mixture

Cool until warm

Fold in 1/3 cup Sour Cream

3 tsp. vanilla

Blend well

Refrigerate up to 6 hours or over night. 

Serve with raspberries or chocolate sauce or whatever fruit your heart desires. 

Great for the Holidays!

Makes about ten 9 oz. cups

*Make sure there isn't any strong smells in your fridge. Tends to absorb them.

Parmesan Chicken

also from http://www.domesticationinprogress.blogspot.com/

Parmesan Chicken

SO EASY, especially if you don't know what to do with that frozen chicken in your freezer.I love this chicken even more than the one at that Italian restaurant we all know...

Ingredients

1 tsp crushed garlic

1/4 C olive oil

1/2 C Italian style bread crumbs

1/4 C fresh grated Parmesan cheese

1/4 C grated mozzarella cheese

2 chicken breasts

How to:
1 - Heat oven to 425

2 - Warm the garlic and olive oil to help blend the flavors (I do this in a bowl and heat it on low in the microwave)

3 - Combine the Parmesan cheese and breadcrumbs in separate bowl

4 - Dredge chicken through olive oil and then bread crumbs so it is fully covered and place in glass pan

5 - Bake for about 30-35 min, until chicken is cooked through

6 - Place mozzarella cheese on chicken and broil until cheese is brown and bubbly

7 - Serve with steamed vegetables or pasta

tortellini soup

YUM! this was some good soup. i copied and pasted and stole from dani's blog so here is a plug for it. they have some yum recipes. go here when stumped for a meal. www.domesticationinprogress.blogspot.com.

Tortellini Soup
The Ingredients


1 1/2 pkg tortellini (you can find this in the "deli meats and cheeses" section of the grocery store)- they come in packages of about 10 oz. I usually buy two and use a package and a half. The leftover tortellini is also great with a little pasta sauce for lunch the next day. Or you can freeze it.
24 oz. chicken broth
4 garlic cloves - minced14 oz. can of stewed tomatoes
1/2 lb. ground sausage (the butcher out here had never heard of ground sausage. he kept trying to get me to buy sausage links but I eventually found these "sausage patties")- you can use the whole pound if you want to but I find it overwhelms the soup. basically, it becomes "sausage soup" with tortellini - stick with the 1/2 lb.
1 tsp. basil
1 pkg chopped spinach (in the freezer section, but thaw and drain before adding it to the soup)
1/2 c Parmesan cheese
1 can tomato sauce (optional)* I also think adding some white beans, zucchini, or chickpeas would make this soup even better... I just haven't tried it yet.

How to:

1. Brown the sausage and garlic.
2. After the sausage and garlic has cooked through, drain the fat and dump the sausage into a large soup pot.
3. Add the chicken broth, stewed tomatoes and basil
4. When the soup is boiling add the tortellini and simmer for about 10 minutes* if you think the broth is too thin add the can of tomato sauce - I always to because I like the sauce a little heartier
5. Add the spinach and Parmesan cheese and simmer for about 10 minutes more
6. Serve with a small salad and garlic bread and you've got dinner!

Dilly Bread

Dilly Bread

1 pkg. yeast or 1 T.

1/4 C warm water

1 C cottage cheese

2 T sugar

1 t minced onion

1 T butter

2 t dill seed

1t salt

1/4 t soda

1 egg

2 1/2 C flour

In a large bowl soften yeast in warm water. Set aside. In small sauce pan, heat cottage cheese and add to it the sugar, onion, butter, dill sees, salt, soda and egg. Add to softened yeast. Add 1 1/2 C flour. Beat for 2 minutes on medium speed. By hand stir on the remaining flour. Mix thoroughly. Cover and let rise to double. Generously grease a round 1 1/2 or 2 quart casserole dish. Stir down dough and turn into greased dish. Let rise in warm place. Bake until light golden brown. (350 degrees for 35-50 minutes) Immediately remove from pan and brush with butter and sprinkle with salt.

This is a strange little recipe but the bread is so good. Mark is not a fan of cottage cheese but you can't taste it at all.

Pumpkin Soup

Fall is here!! So, of course, I had to make

Pumpkin Soup

1 sugar pumpkin (3lbs-cooked soft) or
4 cups canned pumpkin
1T salt
1/4 t pepper
4T butter
1 C. chopped onion
1/2 C red pepper
large jalapeno-quarter, seed and mince
4 C chicken broth
1/4 C creamy peanut butter
1/2 C cream or milk (I use milk)
2T fresh lime juice (I use bottled sometimes)
green onion (if desired)
To roast your pumpkin, turn oven to 350 degrees and bake pumpkin, cut in half and seeded) for 1 hour.Remove from skin.
In soup pot, melt butter, saute onions. Add pumpkin, red pepper, jalapeno and broth. Bring to a boil and let simmer 20 minutes. Stir to break up pumpkin. Next, remove all but one cup of soup and put in to food processor o blended and puree. Pour back in to pot and add peanut butter and cream or milk. stir until peanut butter is melted. Add lime juice and salt and pepper to taste. Garnish with green onion if desired.
Really good and it was good with Dilly Bread (see blog for recipe). Happy Fall!!

Chicken Pesto Pizza

Chicken Pesto Pizza

I made up half of this recipe but it turned out well and it was tasty so if you want a variation on regular pizza, try this.

Pizza Shop Dough

4 3/4 C flour

1t. salt

2t. sugar

1t. basil

3/4 t. garlic poweder

Mix above ingredients and add:

1 3/4 cup warm water

> let yeast foam in water

2T. yeast

This dough is pretty moist (almost sticky)

Let rise for 1/2 hour

Chicken

This is the part I made up. I had 2 chicken breasts and I put them in a baking dish sprayed with pam and sprinkled garlic salt, basil and rosemary and a dash of seasoning salt on them and let them bake for 1 hour in a 350 degree oven, covered in tin foil. Then I shredded them when they came out. You can use any spices that sound good to you.

Pesto

Basil

Parmesan Cheese

Olive Oil

Garlic (1 clove or more)

salt and pepper (to taste)

I don't have any measurements for this but I used about 1/4 C. or a little more olive oil and about 2 cloves of garlic. The rest i just added until it was a spreading consistency. The cheese will really help with that. I let all the flavors mix together and then made everything else. Then spread the pesto on your dough, add the mozzarella and the chicken and bake for 15-20 minutes on 350. We put sliced tomatoes on top. Very tasty!

Spaghetti Sauce

Fill one 12 quart pan 3/4's full of tomatoes.
Add:
3 Diced Onions
3 Green Peppers
1 cup Brown Sugar
1/4 cup Salt
Diced Garlic
1/2 cup Italian Seasoning
1/2 cup Oregano
1/4 cup Basil
1/4 cup Thyme
3 cans 12 oz Tomato Paste

Cook for 4-5 hours
Process for 30 minutes

Enjoy over Pasta!

Mexican Chowder

Mexican Chowder

1 1/2 pounds Chicken

1/2 cup chopped Onion

1-2 Garlic cloves minced

3 T. Butter

2 Chicken bullion cubes

1 cup hot Water

1 t. Cumin 

2 cups Half and Half

2 cups Jack Cheese

1 14oz. can Cream of Corn

1 4oz can Green Chiles

1/4 t. Tabasco

Cook Chicken in oven, seasoned to your liking. Saute onions, garlic and butter in pot until soft. Then add rest of ingredients except for half and half and jack. Bring to Boil. Then add half and half and jack. Make sure to turn your heat to low. Stir constantly until combined. 

Garnish with Cilantro and Tomatoes. So good for those fall nights!

*I usually double the recipe 

crock pot chili

Crock Pot Chili

In your crock pot, combine one can black beans

one can kidney beans

one can pinto beans

one can red beans

and one can diced tomatoes

add one packet taco seasoning

and half a jar of your favorite salsa.

Let simmer all day and top with toppings of your choice.

We like tomatoes and sour cream and cheese and olives.

homemade tortillas

Flour Tortillas

4 C. flour

1/2 T. baking powder

1/2 t. salt

1/2 C. oil

1 1/2 C. water ( add more as needed)

In a bowl, mix the flour, baking powder sat and oil. Then add the water little by little until the right consistency. Dough doesn't have to stick to the bowl or your hands. Make little balls and let them sit for 15 minuted. Roll out and cook in a frying pan. Really easy and so good...make me never want to buy tortillas at the store again.

Mango Lassi

Mango Lassi

2 cups peeled and chopped mangoes
1 cup yogurt (we have used plain and vanilla)
3 tablespoons sugar (according to taste)
1 tablespoon mint leaves (optional)
6-10 ice cubes
Blend the mangoes, yogurt and sugar into a puree.
Add the mint leaves. Add the ice cubes and finely crush.
Serve chilled.

So delicious!!

Naan Bread

Naan Bread

Ingredients:
2 cups of All Purpose flour (Plain flour or maida)
1 teaspoon active dry yeast
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon sugar
Pinch of baking soda
2 tablespoons of oil
2 1/2 tablespoons yogurt (curd or dahi)
3/4 cup lukewarm water
1 teaspoon of clear butter or ghee to butter the Naan
1/4 cup All Purpose flour for rolling
Method
Dissolve active dry yeast in lukewarm water and let it sit for 10 minutes or until the mixture becomes frothy. Add sugar, salt and baking soda to the flour and mix well. Mix the oil and yogurt. Add the water/yeast mixture and mix into a soft dough. Knead until the dough is smooth. Cover the dough and keep in a warm place for 3-4 hours. The dough should double in volume.
Heat the oven to 500 degrees with pizza stone for at least thirty minutes so stone is hot and then turn the oven to high broil. Using a baking/pizza stone will help to give Naan close to same kind of heat as clay tandoor.
Knead the dough for about two to three minutes and divide the dough into six equal parts. Take each piece of dough, one at a time, and roll into 8-inch diameter circles. Dust lightly with dry flour to help with the rolling.Before putting the Naan in oven, lightly wet your hands and take the rolled Naan, and flipp them between your palms and place onto your baking/pizza stone into the oven. You can place about 2 Naan on the baking/pizza stone at a time. The Naan will take about 2 to 3 minutes to cook, depending upon your oven. After the Naan is cooked (Naan should be golden brown color on top) take them out of the oven and brush lightly with clear butter or ghee.Makes 6 Naan.

We ate this with some chicken simmered in a simmer sauce and some rice and the delicious Naan.

German Pancakes

German Pancakes

6 Eggs

1 cup Flour

1 t. Salt

1 cup Milk

1/4 t. Baking Powder

6 T. Butter

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Melt the butter in 9x13 pan in hot oven. Beat the other ingredients until well blended. Pour into pan with hot butter. Bake until golden brown. 

These are a favorite weekend breakfast at our house. We love to eat them with peaches, sour cream and brown sugar. You can also do any fruit your heart desires. You may also know these as Dutch Babies. Enjoy!

Tropical Spinach Salad

Tropical Spinach Salad

~Salad~
6-8 Sliced Strawberries
6 Sliced Kiwi
2 Cubed Mango
Baby Spinach 1 bag
Romaine 1 bag
Mozzarella Cheese as desired
1/2 Red Onion

~Coconut Dressing~
2 cups Mayonnaise
8 T. Orange Marmalade
6 T. Major Greys Mango Chutney (by ketchup in store)
1 15oz. can Coco Lopez Cream of Coconut (by mixed drinks in store)
~Makes a lot of dressing. You can cut it in half.

~Garnish~
Dry Pineapple
Sesame Sticks
Banana Chips
Macadamia Nuts
~ I buy the Nutty Guy's brand for the Garnish.
*Also great with Chicken