Thursday, February 1, 2024

Quiche

 INGREDIENTS

1 unbaked pie crust, 9" deep dish
6 eggs
3/4 c. whole milk
3/4 c. heavy cream
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
1 c. shredded cheddar cheese*
2 c. add ins - ham, peppers, onion, mushrooms*

*feel free to mix these up!

1.  Prepare your pie crust and partially blind bake.  Preheat oven to 375.  Line the crust with parchment paper and pie weights (or beans!)  Bake for 15 minutes.  Remove from oven and remove weights and parchment paper.  Book for an additional 7 minutes.  Reduce the heat to 350.

2.  While the pie crust is cooking, prepare the filling.

3.  Dice the veggies and sauté them in some butter until tender.

4.  Mix the eggs, milk, cream, salt & pepper well.  Add the cheese and the fillings and stir to combine.

5.  Pour the filling into the pie crust.  Bake in the 350 degree oven for about 40-50 minutes.  The center should be just set.  Remove from the oven and allow to cool for at least 15 minutes before serving.  

Chicken With Cajun Cream Sauce & Grits

You could serve this over pasta instead of grits...but the grits are so good!   

INGREDIENTS

For the chicken:

Chicken breasts or thighs cut into 2" strips
1/4 c. flour
1/4 c. panko breadcrumbs 
1 c. breadcrumbs
1/2 c. parmesan cheese
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
3 eggs
oil for pan frying

For the Cajun Cream Sauce:

2 c. heavy cream
1 c. chicken broth
1 Tbs. cornstarch
1 tsp. cajun seasoning
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
1 c. grated parmesan cheese

Veggies for sauce:

2 Tbs. butter
1/2 c. diced red pepper
1/2 c. diced onion
1/2 c. diced mushrooms
1 tsp. minced garlic

For the Grits:

2 c. milk
2 c. chicken broth
1 tsp. salt
1 c. grits
2 Tbs. butter
2 Tbs. cream
1 c. cheddar cheese

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Start with the veggies.  Melt the butter in a cast iron skillet over medium high heat.  Add the veggies and sauté for about 5 minutes.  Add the garlic, cook for 1 minute more.  Remove the veggies from the pan and set aside.

2.  While the veggies are cooking, mix the flour, both breadcrumbs, salt, pepper, & parmesan cheese in one bowl.  In a second bowl, whisk the eggs.

3.  After the veggies are done and set aside, add a few tablespoons of oil to the pan, enough to cover the bottom.  Dip the chicken in the breadcrumbs, then the eggs, then back into the breadcrumbs.  Add the chicken to the hot oil in the pan and cook on both sides until it is crispy and done.  3-5 minutes on each side, depending on their thickness.  You may need to do this in 2 batches, don't over crowd the pan.  Add a little more oil if needed when you flip the chicken over.  

4.  While the chicken is cooking, prepare the grits.  Heat the milk, chicken broth, and salt in a saucepan.  When it starts to boil, reduce heat to low and whisk in the grits.  Simmer until the grits are thickened, 10-15 minutes, whisking every few minutes to prevent lumps and sticking to the bottom of the pan.  Turn off the heat, add the butter, cream, and cheese.  Stir to combine.  Cover with a lid until ready to serve.  Add more cream if they are too thick.

5.  Mix all the cajun cream sauce ingredients in a bowl.  Add to the empty cast iron skillet after the chicken is finished cooking.  Add the cooked veggies.  Reduce heat to low, simmer until sauce thickens some and is heated through.

6.  Serve the chicken and sauce over the grits.

Sunday, October 1, 2023

Raspberry Bread Pudding

Bread Pudding 
1 1/2 loaves white bread, cut into 1 1/2 inch cubes
4 c. cream
3 c. sugar
1 egg
1 tsp. vanilla

Fruit
5 c. raspberries, fresh or frozen (or blueberries are great!)
1 c. sugar
1/2 c. apple juice

Vanilla Cream Sauce
1 1/3 c. butter
5 Tbs. flour
3 c. cream
1/2 tsp. salt
2 tsp. vanilla
2/3 c. sugar

In a large bowl, combine cream, sugar, egg, and vanilla and beat until well combined.  Add the bread cubes and stir, coating the bread well.  Let the bread sit in the cream mixture for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally to allow cream to absorb.

In another bowl, mix the berries, sugar, and apple juice.  Stir until sugar is dissolved.

Layer in a 9x13 inch pan: 3/4 full with bread, pour fruit evenly over top, then top with remaining bread.

Bake for 40 minutes at 375.

While the pudding is baking, make the cream sauce:

Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat.  Add the flour and stir.  Cook for about 10 minutes, stirring, until it has a nutty aroma, but make sure not to brown.  Add salt, cream, and sugar and stir until mixture becomes thick.  Remove from heat and stir in vanilla.

Serve bread pudding warm topped with vanilla cream sauce.



Sunday, September 24, 2023

Awesome Brownies

1 c. unsalted butter, melted & cooled
2 Tbs. vegetable oil
1 1/4 c. sugar
1 c. packed brown sugar
4 large eggs, at room temperature
1 Tbs. vanilla extract
3/4 tsp. salt
1 c. all purpose flour
1 c. unsweetened cocoa powder
1 c. roughly chopped chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350.  Lightly grease a 8x12 baking pan and line with parchment paper.

Combine melted butter, oil, and sugars together in a medium sized bowl.  Whisk well to combine.  Add the eggs and vanilla; beat until lighter in color (another minute).  Sift together the flour, cocoa, and salt.  Gently fold the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until just combined (do not over beat!)

Fold in 3/4 of the chocolate pieces.  Pour batter into prepared pan, smoothing out the top evenly.  Top with remaining chocolate pieces.  Bake for 25-30 minutes for just underdone brownies (fudgier texture) or until the center of the brownies no longer jiggles and is just set to the touch (toothpick will come out dirty).  OR 35-40 minutes if you like brownies more set and firm.

Brownies will continue baking and set in the hot pan out of the oven.  Allow to cool in pan for 15-20 minutes.  Carefully remove brownies from the pan and allow to cool to room temperature before slicing and serving.

You can use different size pans, you just need to adjust the cooking time up or down.

Note: Sharalen likes to bake these brownies on the top shelf of the oven...the middle shelf cooks them a lot faster, slightly burns them on the top and dries them out.

from Sharalen Benson

German Apple Pound Cake

Cake:

3 eggs
1 1/2 c. oil (vegetable or canola)
2 c. sugar
2 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking soda
2 tsp. vanilla
3 c. flour
3 large apples, cut up small 
1 c. nuts (optional)

Sauce:

1/2 c. butter
1/2 c. brown sugar
2 Tbs. milk

Preheat oven to 325.

In a stand mixer, beat eggs for 3 minutes.  Add oil and sugar, mix.  Add the cinnamon, salt, baking soda, and vanilla.  Mix, then add flour.  Gently fold in the apples and nuts if using.

Pour batter into a well greased bundt pan (or another tube pan) for about 1 hour 20 minutes.

Cool and remove from pan.

To make the sauce:

Heat sugar, butter, and milk in a saucepan.  Bring to a boil over medium-high heat and cook for 6-8 minutes, stirring constantly, until thick.  Pour over cake and serve.

from Heather Nethercott

Red Berry Pie Tone (from Kitchen Kneads)

 This is a homemade Danish Dessert.

2 c. water
1 pkg. powdered drink mix (like red kool aid, about 1 tsp.)
1 c. sugar
9-10 tsp. ultraset
1 tsp. lemon juice

Whisk water, drink mix, & sugar until dissolved.

Gradually add ultraist to desired thickness.

Stir in lemon juice.

If making pies: add fruit, pour into pie shells & chill.

Can store up to 2 weeks in the fridge.

Apple Cider Braised Pork Shoulder

3 lb. pork shoulder roast
salt & pepper
2 Tbs. olive oil
2-4 onions, sliced
2 tsp. minced garlic
1 tsp. dried thyme
1 tsp. dried rosemary
1 tsp. paprika
2 c. apple cider 
2 c. chicken broth
2 bay leaves
2 granny smith apples, peeled, cored and cut into slices
optional- carrots and potatoes 

Preheat oven to 400.

Pat pork dry and season with salt and pepper.

Heat the oil in a large oven-safe dutch oven set over medium-high heat.  Add the pork and brown on all 4 sides, about 3-4 minutes per side.  Remove the pork from the pan and set aside.

Add onions to the pot.  Cook for about 4 minutes, stirring often, until soft.  Add the garlic.  Stir and cook for about 30 seconds.

Deglaze the pot by adding 1/4 c. chicken broth to the pan, stir and scrape up all the browned bits from the bottom of the pot.  Stir in the thyme, rosemary, and paprika.

Add the pork back to the pot.  Pour in the apple cider, remaining chicken broth, and bay leaves.  

Cover the pot and place in the hot oven.  Cook for 30 minutes.

Reduce the oven temperature to 350 and cook for 2 hours.  Add the apples, replace the lid, and continue to cook for 30 minutes.  OR reduce the oven to 250 and cook for 4-5 hours, then increase oven temperature to 350, add the apples, replace the lid and cook for 30-60 minutes.  The pork should be very tender.

Serve pork with the apples, onions, and sauce...it's also delicious over mashed potatoes.

NOTE:  You can add baby carrots and quartered potatoes the last hour of cooking as well.  If the sauce cooks down too much, you can add a little more broth and or apple cider...this only happens to me when I cook it for 4-5 hours.

Honey Lime Enchiladas

1/3 c. honey
1/4 c. lime juice
1 Tbs. chili powder
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1 lb. chicken or pork, cooked and shredded
8 flour tortillas
1 lb. monterey jack cheese, shredded
2 c. green enchilada sauce
1/2 c. cream

Preheat oven to 350.

Mix the honey, lime juice, chili powder, and garlic powder together then toss with the shredded meat.  Let marinade for 30 minutes or up to a few hours in the refrigerator (if you have time, if not just keep going).

Spray a 9"x13" pan with cooking spray.  Pour 1/2 c. enchilada sauce in the bottom of the pan and spread it around.  Fill each tortilla with the chicken and a handful of shredded cheese (save some to sprinkle on top).  Roll up and place seam side down in pan.

Mix the remaining enchilada sauce with the cream (sometimes I'll add little more!) and pour over the enchiladas in the pan.  Top with remaining cheese.

Bake for 30 minutes or until brown and crispy on top.  Serve with cilantro lime rice, pico de gallo, guacamole, sour cream, and black beans.

Note: You could put the rice and black beans in the tortillas before baking if you like...you'll just need more tortillas and sauce or have leftover chicken!

Chocolate Protein Energy Bites

1 c. quick oats
1/2 c. shredded coconut
1/2 c. peanut butter
1/2 c. honey
1/4 c. chocolate protein powder
1 tsp. vanilla
1/2 c. mini chocolate chips

Combine all ingredients in a large bowl until mixed well.  Roll into 1" balls and serve.  Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator. 

Tuesday, August 29, 2023

Sweet Molasses Brown Bread

 Makes 2-3 loaves.  This is excellent bread on the side of a meal, for sandwiches, or just toasted with butter and honey!


2 1/2 c. warm water
1 1/2 Tbs. instant yeast
1/3 c. molasses
2 Tbs. unsweetened cocoa powder
3 Tbs. vegetable oil
1/3 c. honey
2 tsp. salt
3 c. whole wheat flour
3-4 c. all purpose flour
3 Tbs. butter, melted
old fashioned oats for sprinkling on top

In your mixer bowl, combine the water, yeast, molasses, cocoa powder, oil, honey, salt, & 2 c. flour.  Mix until combined.

Gradually add the rest of the flour starting with the whole wheat flour.  Keep adding the flour until the dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl (you might have around 1/2 c. left over).  Knead the dough with the mixer for 5-7 minutes...if the dough becomes sticky, add remaining flour 1 Tbs. at a time.  The dough should be soft, but not too sticky.  

Transfer the dough to a large, greased bowl, then cover with plastic wrap (sprayed with cooking spray).  Allow dough to rise until doubled.

Punch down the dough and divide into 2-3 even pieces.  Shape the dough into tight ovals and place on a baking sheet, making sure they have room to rise without touching.  Lightly cover with plastic wrap that has been sprayed with cooking spray.  Let rise again until doubled.

Right before baking, take very sharp knife and cut 3 slashes across the top of each loaf (this isn't necessary, but it makes it look pretty!)

Bake the loaves at 375 degrees for 25 minutes.  Remove from the oven and lightly brush with melted butter the sprinkle some oats on top.  Return to the oven and bake for an additional 5 minutes.  Cool before slicing.

Monday, August 28, 2023

Canning Diced Tomatoes

tomates
salt 
lemon juice or citric acid

Place lemon juice in jars: 1 Tbs. to each pint jar or 1/2 tsp. citric acid
Blanch, peel, and cut tomatoes.
Place tomatoes in jars with lemon juice, press down so the juice fills in the air holes.
Add 1/2 tsp. salt to each pint jar.
Slide a butter knife around the inside side of the jars to help remove any air bubbles.

Pressure can pints 10 lbs. for 40 minutes

Quiche

 INGREDIENTS 1 unbaked pie crust, 9" deep dish 6 eggs 3/4 c. whole milk 3/4 c. heavy cream 1/2 tsp. salt 1/4 tsp. pepper 1 c. shredded ...