September 2010

Lemons & Limes!

At the home of: Becky McKenna

August 2010

Corn!

At the home of: Stacy Hart

Microwave Caramel Corn

From the kitchen of: Angela Rivers

4 quarts plain air popped popcorn

1 cup brown sugar

1 stick butter

1/4 cup light corn syrup

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp baking soda

Place popcorn in large brown paper grocery bag. (If bag has handles remove them.) In a large microwave-safe dish (at least 2 quarts) combine brown sugar, butter, syrup and salt. Microwave on high for 2 minutes. Stir, then microwave 1 minute. Stir in baking soda until mixture becomes thick, then microwave on high 1 minute. Carefully pour syrup over popcorn. Staying in the middle works best. Close bag and shake well (or stir with a wooden spoon until all pieces are covered). Microwave bag for 1 1/2 minutes. Shake bag and microwave another 1 1/2 minutes. Shake well once last time. Then pour onto ungreased cookie sheet or tin foil. Caramel corn will cool quickly. Store in Tupperware to keep fresh.

July 2010 - Red Bell Peppers!

July 2010

Red Bell Pepper Night!

At the home of: Shana Hart

Black Bean & Roasted Red Pepper Dip

From the kitchen of: Becky Maher

12 ounces, weight Light Cream Cheese, softened

1 jar Roasted Red Peppers , Drained (7 Ounce)

1 can Black Beans, Drained And Rinsed (15 Ounces)

2 Tablespoons Taco Seasoning

1 Tablespoon Chopped Fresh Cilantro

1-½ teaspoon Lime Juice

Preparation Instructions

In food processor, process all ingredients until smooth.

Garnish, if desired, with chopped tomato, chopped bell pepper and chopped fresh cilantro.

Serve with tortilla chips or assorted fresh vegetables.

Stuffed Red (Green) Peppers

From the kitchen of: Angela Rivers

6 large red or green peppers (I used 4)

1 pound ground beef

2 tablespoons chopped onion (I used 4)

1 tsp salt

1/8 tsp garlic salt

1 cup cooked rice (I used approx 2)

15 oz can tomato sauce

Cut the stem end of each pepper and remove all seeds and membranes. Cook in boiling salted water for 5 minutes and drain. Cook beef and onion in skillet. Drain fat. Stir in salts, rice and half the can of tomato sauce. Heat thoroughly. Lightly stuff each pepper. (I cut peppers in half lengthwise and lay in the pan.) Pour remaining tomato sauce over peppers. Cover and bake for 45 minutes at 350. Uncover and bake another 15 minutes.

Sauteed Bell Pepper with Golden Raisins & Arugula

From the kitchen of: Stacy Hart

1/4 cup olive oil

2 red bell peppers cut into 1/4-inch strips

2 yellow " "

2 orange " "

3/4 cup golden raisins

1 Tbsp fennel seeds

2 Tbsps balsamic vinegar

8 cups arugula, plus additional for garnish

Heat oil in very large heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Add all peppers & saute until slightly softened, stirring occasionally about 7 minutes. Add raisins and fennel seeds. Continue to cook until peppers are soft about 5 minutes. Stir in vinegar. Season with salt & pepper. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and chill.) Add 8 cups arugula to peppers and stir until arugula begins to wilt about 1 minute. Transfer mixture to large platter; garnish with additional arugula and serve.

Pasta with Roasted Red Pepper Sauce

From the kitchen of: Shana Hart

3 whole Red Bell Peppers

2 Tablespoons Pine Nuts (optional)

2 Tablespoons Olive Oil

½ whole Medium Onion, Finely Diced

2 cloves Garlic, Minced

½ cups Heavy Cream

Flat Leaf Parsley, Finely Minced

Fresh Parmesan, Shaved Or Grated

½ pounds (to 1 Pound) Pasta: Orecchiette, Penne, Fusilli, Etc.

Roast red peppers, and then place in a Ziploc bag to allow to sweat. Peel the charred skins from the peppers, then removed seeds. Set aside. Lightly toast pine nuts in a skillet. Set aside. Puree peppers with pine nuts. Set aside. Cook pasta according to package directions. In a skillet or pot over medium heat, drizzle in olive oil. Add diced onions and garlic and cook until soft. Pour in pepper puree and stir together. Add plenty of salt. Pour in cream and stir to combine. Taste and add more salt, if necessary. Add cooked pasta, and then stir together. Place pasta into a bowl, top with chopped parsley and plenty of shaved Parmesan. Give thanks for Italy. Repeat as necessary.

June 2010 - Chicken!

June 2010

Chicken

At the home of: Stacy Hart

Tavuk Gogsu

From the kitchen of: Becky Maher

1 chicken breast
3 1/2 cups milk
1 1/4 cup heavy cream1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup sugar
5 tablespoons rice flour
Ground cinnamon (optional)
Roasted, unsalted almonds (optional)

Place the chicken breast in a pan with a little water, bring it to boil, reduce the heat, and simmer until the meat is cooked. Drain and tear it into fine threads. Moisten the rice flour with a little of the milk. Put the rest of the milk into a saucepan with the cream, salt, and sugar, and bring the liquid to boil. Add a few spoonfuls of the hot liquid to the moistened rice flour, and pour the mixture into the pan. Beat vigorously and continue to cook over a low heat, stirring all the time so it doesn't stick to the bottom of the pan, until the mixture begins to thicken. Beat in the fine threads of chicken and continue to cook the mixture until very thick. At this stage, the pudding can be cooled and eaten plain. Garnish, if desired, with ground cinnamon and/or lightly-toasted almonds. Alternatively, tip it into a heavy-based frying pan and place over the heat for 5 to 10 minutes to burn the bottom of the pudding. Move the pan around so that the pudding is evenly burnt. Leave to cool in the pan, cut into rectangles, and lift them out with a spatula. Roll the rectangles into logs, and serve at room temperature or slightly cooled.

Chicken Bacon Delight!

From the kitchen of: Shana Hart

½ cups Dijon Mustard

½ cups Honey

½ whole (juice Of) Lemon

½ teaspoons Paprika

½ teaspoons Salt

Crushed Red Pepper (optional To Taste)

6 whole Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts

1 pound Thick Cut Bacon

Bacon Grease

Sharp Cheddar Cheese, to taste

Canola Oil

To begin, make the marinade. In a large bowl mix together ½ cup Dijon or country/grainy mustard with ½ cup honey, juice of ½ lemon, ½ teaspoon paprika, and ½ teaspoon salt and whisk until smooth. Sprinkle in some crushed red pepper flakes or cayenne if you like things a little spicy. Set aside. Next, rinse the chicken breasts, place between two sheets of waxed paper and pound to around ½ to ¾ inch thick with a mallet. Next, add the chicken to the bowl with the marinade, cover with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator for 1 to 3 hours. While the chicken marinates, fry up some bacon. When finished cooking, reserve ¼ cup of the bacon grease and clean out the skillet. When the chicken is done marinating, preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Remove the chicken from the fridge and pour off excess marinade. Heat half of the reserved bacon grease with an equal quantity of Canola Oil in the clean skillet over medium-high heat. When the grease is nice and hot add two or three pieces of chicken to it. Cook until brownish/blackish, about 1 to 1 ½ minutes per side. Remove chicken to a large baking sheet. If cooking many pieces of chicken, repeat skillet process and remove finished chicken to baking sheet. Place chicken in preheated oven and cook for about 10 minutes. Remove from over. Lay a few pieces of bacon over each chicken breast. Sprinkle shredded sharp cheddar cheese over the top of the chicken as generously as you like. Return pan to oven for an additional five minutes until cheese is melted and bacon is sizzling. Serve immediately.

Cranberry Chicken

From the kitchen of: Angela Rivers

1 envelope onion soup mix

12 oz bottle French or Russian salad dressing

1 large can whole cranberry sauce

6-8 chicken breasts

Mix first 3 ingredients. (Can also add dried cranberries to mix.) Place chicken in greased casserole dish. Pour mixture over. Bake uncovered at 350 for 45-60 minutes. Serve over rice.

Cilantro Pesto Chicken Tenders

From the kitchen of: Stacy Hart

Marinade:

2 Tbsp chopped walnuts

2 garlic cloves

1 1/2 cups loosely packed cilantro

1/2 cup loosely packed italian parsley

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper

1/4 cup olive oil

Meat & Garnish:

2 lbs chicken breast tenders

1 lime cut into wedges

In processor pulse add all ingredients for marinade except oil until finely chopped. With processor on slowly add the oil to create a smooth puree. Place chicken in Ziploc bag with puree for 2 hours in fridge. Skewer and grill high heat until cooked through, 6-8 minutes. Serve warm with lime wedges.

BBQ Chicken Pizza

From the kitchen of: Becky McKenna

May 2010 - Our 2 Year Anniversary!

May 2010

Our 2-Year Anniversary!

At the home of: Angela Rivers

We continued our tradition of bringing our favorite recipes over the last year - here is what we enjoyed AGAIN!

King Alfred Cakes!

Dog Food!

Becky Maher's Alfredo Sauce!

Trinity salad!

Orange Rolls!

And Chicken Enchilada's got snuck in too!

Can't believe it has been 2-Years since we started this wonderful group!

April 2010 - American Food

April 2010
American Food
At the home of: Angela Rivers

Buttermilk Biscuits

From the kitchen of: Shana Hart

4 cups all purpose flour

4 tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

1.5 tsp salt

1 tsp sugar

1 cup unsalted butter

2 cups buttermilk (may only need 1 cup)

Preheat oven to 375. In bowl whisk all dry ingredients. Cut in butter until mixture resembles course crumbles. Add milk and stir till sticky. Transfer dough to lightly floured surface. Pat dough to 1 inch thickness. Cut 2.5 inch circles. Bake 18-20 minutes. Cool on wire racks.

Surprise Apple Salad

From the kitchen of: Shannon Just

3 (2.07 oz) Snickers bars, chopped

3 medium tart apples, peeled & chopped

8 oz container frozen whipped topping, thawed

In a large bowl combine all ingredients. Refrigerate until serving. Serves about 6.

Ice Cream Jello

From the kitchen of: Angela Rivers

3 ounce box of Jello gelatin
1 cup boiling water
4 ice cubes
2 big scoops vanilla ice cream

Blend Jello and boiling water. Then add ice and ice cream to blender and blend well. Pour into 13x9 pan or individual cups. Let set in refrigerator for about an hour or until firm. Repeat as necessary with different flavors, but make sure to let set well after each layer. I used Cherry, Orange, Strawberry, and Lime. Have tried to use sugar free Jello but does not come out as well.

Ranch Dressing

From the kitchen of: Becky Maher

1 cup mayonnaise

3/4 cup buttermilk

1/4 cup sour cream

½ teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon black pepper

1/4 teaspoon onion powder

1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

1/8 teaspoon dried thyme

1 tbsp finely chopped parsley

Preparation:

Combine all ingredients in a bowl and whisk until completely mixed. Cover and refrigerate for 2 hours before serving.

Prosciuto-Wrapped White Nectarines

From the kitchen of: Becky Maher

2 large fresh white nectarines (or other varieties)

20 thin strips prosciuto (about 4 oz)

½ cup crumbled Gorgonzola cheese

Preparation:

Preheat broiler and line a baking sheet with foil. Cut each nectarine into 10 slices and wrap each with a prosciuto strip. Place on prepared baking sheet and broil for 2 to 3 minutes on each side or until prosciuto is crispy. While warm, sprinkle with cheese. Serve with toothpicks.

Cheater Lasagna

From the kitchen of: Karisa Stahle

12 lasagna noodles

small container ricotta cheese

small ball of mozzarella cheese

big jar spaghetti sauce

3 cups fresh spinach

1 clove garlic

2-3 shallots to taste

Chop garlic and shallots. Saute in olive oil. Chop spinach a bit and take stems out. Add spinach and let wilt. Cook noodles. Lay a noodle flat on counter - with a knife spread cheese. Layer sauce and then add spinach mixture. Roll and place seam-side down in pan. Repeat on all shells. Top with rest of sauce and add cheese on top. Bake at 400 for 25 minutes uncovered.

Penne Mac & Cheese

From the kitchen of: Stacy Hart

3 Tbsp kosher salt

8 oz penne rigate pasta, dry

2 Tbsp shallots, minced

3 oz smoked bacon, cooked & minced

1 Tbsp garlic, minced

2 Tbsp olive oil

2 Tbsp flour

1.5 cups heavy cream

1 Tbsp minced basil

1/2 tsp minced thyme

1/4 tsp kosher salt

1/8 tsp pepper

3 cups white extra sharp cheddar cheese, shredded

1 cup smoked medium cheddar, shredded

Boil pasta 5-6 minutes, slightly undercooked and drain. Sit in colander 1 minute then toss back into pan with olive oil. (Can also use truffle oil.) Combine shallots, bacon, garlic and oil in 4 quart pot. Cook slowly for 10 minutes on low. Add in flour and raise heat to medium. Cook 2 minutes stirring constantly. Temper in cream and bring to a boil. Simmer 10 minutes on low. Add in herbs and seasonings. Stir in 3 cups white cheddar until smooth. Add pasta - stir evenly to combined. Pour into baking dish and top with smoked cheddar. Bake 10-15 minutes at 350.

March 2010
Soups & Stews
At the home of: Stacy Hart

Cliff’s Award-Winning Chili
From the kitchen of: Angela Rivers

1 large onion
3 Tbsp canola oil
1 lb ground beef
1 can kidney beans
1 can stewed or diced tomatoes
2 Tbsp chili powder
1 tsp salt
1/8 tsp pepper

Dice onion. Heat oil and cook onion until tender. Stir in beef and cook until browned. Drain grease. Add rest of ingredients and bring to boil. Reduce heat to med-low; cover and cook for 30 minutes. Remove cover and cook for 10 minutes longer.

Butternut Squash Soup

From the kitchen of: Stacy Hart

2 slices bacon

1/2 medium onion, chopped finely

1 large leek, chopped finely

1 large garlic clove, minced

1 bay leaf

1.25 lbs butternut squash (approx 2) cut into 1" cubes

1 medium tart apple

2 cups low sodium chicken broth

1/2 cup water (+/-)

sour cream/bacon bits as topping

Crisp and crumble bacon for topping. Reserve 1.5 tsp of bacon fat and cook leek, onion, garlic, bay leaf, and salt/pepper. Cook until softened. Then add squash, apple (peeled & chopped), water, broth, and simmer 15 minutes. Take bay leaf out. Puree soup in blender or food processor.

Grandma's Broccoli Cheese Soup

From the kitchen of: Becky McKenna

1/4 cup butter

1 onion, chopped

16 oz finely chopped frozen broccoli

4 14.5 oz cans chicken broth

1 lb Velveeta cheese, cubed

2 cups milk

1 Tbsp garlic powder

2/3 cup corn starch

1 cup cold water

Cook onion in butter until soft, about 7 minutes. Stir in broccoli and cover with chicken broth. Simmer until broccoli is tender - 10-15 minutes. Reduce heat and stir in cheese cubes until melted. Mix in milk and garlic powder. In separate bowl mix water and corn starch. Add to soup while stirring until thickened. Enjoy!

(I have also used fresh broccoli and even a mix of cauliflower and broccoli. It is much faster if you heat the broth in a separate pan while the onion is cooking. Cuts time way down. I usually put the cheese in last as it likes to stick to the bottom of the pan even if you stir constantly.)

Taco Soup

From the kitchen of: Tiffany Pringle

1 can kidney beans

1 can garbanzo beans

1 lb ground beef

1/4 - 1/2 onion

1 clove garlic, minced

1 package taco seasoning

1 can corn

1 can diced tomatoes

2 cans chicken broth

Add beans, corn, tomatoes, broth into pot and warm. Brown meat with chopped onions. Split seasoning among beef and soup pot while cooking. Add cooked beef into soup pot (don't have to drain). Cook to boil and then slow to a simmer. Top with cheese/chips/sour cream.

Slow-Cooker Chicken Tortilla Soup

From the kitchen of: Shannon Just (welcome!!)

1 lb shredded, cooked chicken

1 15 oz can whole peeled tomatoes, mashed

1 10 oz can enchilada sauce

1 medium onion, chopped

1 4 oz can chopped green chile peppers

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 cups water

1 14.5 oz can chicken broth

1 tsp cumin

1 tsp chili powder

1 tsp salt

1/4 tsp black pepper

1 bay leaf

1 10 oz package frozen corn

1 Tbsp chopped cilantro

7 corn tortillas

vegetable oil

Place first 6 ingredients into a slow cooker. Pour in water and broth; season with cumin, chili powder, salt, pepper and bay leaf. Stir in corn and cilantro. Cover and cook on low setting for 6-8 hours or on high setting for 3-4 hours. Preheat oven to 400. Lightly brush both sides of tortillas with oil. Cut into strips and spread on baking sheet. Bake until crisp about 10-15 minutes. To serve sprinkle tortilla strips over soup.

Beef Stew

From the kitchen of: Becky Maher

1 lb ground beef (alternate would be leftover roast beef cubed) [half a medium onion chopped and browned w/the ground beef adds extra flavor and texure but is optional]

1 lb carrots chopped to bite size (baby carrots cut in half works too)

3-4 russett potatoes in about 1" cubes (w/or w/out peels per your preference)

1 cup frozen peas

1 package lipton onion soup mix

1 can cream of mushroom soup

Directions:

Brown beef and drain. In separate pan, boil potatoes and carrots until cooked. Use just enough water to cover the vegetables, and this will be your stock for the stew later. It takes about 20 minutes to cook potatoes and 10 minutes to cook the carrots when added to the potatoes. When almost done cooking veggies, add the beef and soup mix. Return to boiling. Add frozen peas and boil for 2-3 minutes (longer and the peas will fade in color). Remove from heat and stir in mushroom soup until creamy.