Taco Soup

A friend brought this to a potluck at work, I had to make my own version. You can use packaged taco seasoning-I like to make my own and thus exclude any MSG, silicon dioxide (anti-caking) and salt. I do add seasalt, but less than what you get in the package. My friend also added a package of Hidden Valley Ranch dry mix to the soup just before serving. I choose to leave it out. You can also use all organic ingredients pretty easily.

1 lb ground beef

1 diced onion

1 can kidney beans-undrained

1 can black beands-undrained

1 can corn-undrained

8 oz tomato sauce

2 cans diced tomatoes (14.5 oz size)

1 can diced mild chilis (4 oz size)

7-8 tsp taco seasoning mix-or 1 package store-bought

Sour cream, grated cheddar and tortilla chips for serving

 

Brown beef. Add onions, saute until almost clear. Drain any excess fat. Add taco seasoning stirring constantly to avoid burning,but should make good brown bits on the bottom. Add the remaining ingredients. Simmer for an hour. Serve garnished with sour cream, cheddar and tortilla chips.

*this can be done in a crockpot for 8 hrs as well. Just brown beef then use some of the liquid to pick up all the brown bits off the bottom of the pan before transferring to the crockpot.

Mediterranean Skillet

This is a really fast dinner and my kids loved it. Feta cheese is not for everyone, but I’m sure a good grated Parmesan would taste good as well.  I did all the chopping ahead so all I had to do was add stuff in because it cooks so fast.

Mediterranean skillet

3 chicken breasts, diced 1/2 ish cubes

2 cloves garlic,minced

4 roma tomatoes, diced

1/4 cup sliced black olives (hard to judge exact amount because when I open a can, we eat them during cooking. This is about what made it into the dish)

1/2 tsp Italian seasoning

1/4 black pepper

1 TB pesto (optional)

1 cup finely shredded cabbage

1/4-1/2 cup feta cheese

10 basil leaves, shredded, diced or minced

garlic toast baguette (cut into 4 inch lengths, slice in half, butter and sprinkle garlic salt—-toast in the oven  just before skillet is done)

Heat up skillet, add about a TB of olive oil, then chicken and garlic until the chicken is slightly browned. Add tomatoes, olives, seasonings, pesto. Cover and simmer for about 3-4 minutes. Stir in cabbage, then add the feta cheese and simmer covered for 2-4 minutes.  Sprinkle fresh basil.  Serve on or with the toasted garlic bread.

Mediterranean Skillet over toasted garlic baguette

Homemade Donuts

This is a basic buttermilk version turned out pretty good. I have not tried other recipes as this was my first attempt in years. I found that without a real donut cutter it was tricky to find a way to make real shaped ones, so I opted to make mostly ‘donut holes’ using a small rimmed shot glass. I like bite sized better anyway.

Donut experiment

In a large bowl:

2 beaten eggs

1 cup sugar

1 cup buttermilk (I substitute  1 cup milk with 1 TB lemon juice to get the same thick consistency-it works!)

3 tablespoons melted butter

Add: (mix before adding to liquid)

4 cups flour (very sticky dough)

1 tsp baking soda soda

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp nutmeg

1/2 tsp salt

Roll out to 1/4 inch thick in smaller batches with generous amounts of flour-dough will be a soft dough, and you can cut with a donut cutter or whatever you happen to have that works. Jar rings, shot glass…..

Fry in hot oil turning as needed, drain on paper towels then sprinkle all over with powdered sugar. It kinda turns to a gooey glaze, especially when the donuts are still warm. Best when still crispy warm but yummy for dessert after dinner too.

Hot Oil should be 2-3 inches deep and hot enough to fry but not boiling or smoking. I use a dutch oven because it holds even heat well. You may need to add oil as you cook, you can always test the heat by putting a small dab of dough and watching the sizzle. It should brown at a minute or two on each side.

Aunt Gladys Coffee Cake

This is the best coffee cake I’ve ever made or eaten. I have never found a cake that compares. It’s easy to whip up and the leftovers are good enough to nibble on throughout the day. I know this came out of one of my mom’s cookbooks, but I don’t know which one. All I know is Aunt Gladys had a heck of a recipe. As a kid I had tea and now it’s even better with the perfect cup of coffee.

Preheat oven to 375′ , coat 13×9 pan with spray oil

Ingredients:

1 cup soft butter

4 cups flour

3 cups sugar

2 tsp salt

4 tsp baking powder

4 eggs

2 cups milk

2 tsp vanilla extract

Method:

Cream together butter and sugar in large bowl. Mix in the flour, set aside 1 cup of this mixture to sprinkle.

Stir in baking powder and salt

In separate bowl mix eggs, milk vanilla. Add liquid mixture to large bowl of dry and mix well. Pour into greased pan, sprinkle reserved mixture evenly over the top,  and bake for 40-60 minutes.

Let it rest for at least 10 minutes before cutting and serving. For a richer version, serve cut in half with butter.

Super Easy Cream Puffs

I hadn’t made these for almost ten years-I forgot how incredible these are. Amazingly, they are very easy to bake, fun to fill, and best to eat.

They can be baked in advance and stored in a container. You can fill with a variety of fillings, sweet or savory. The easiest sweet I’ve done  is to fill with instant vanilla pudding and top with melted chocolate. To really top it off,sprinkle with cinnamon sugar while the chocolate is still wet.

• 1/2 cup butter
• 1 cup water
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 tsp sugar
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 4 eggs

Directions

1. Mix together vanilla instant pudding mix. Cover and refrigerate to set.
2. Preheat oven to 425 deg.
3. In a large pot, bring water and butter to a rolling boil. Stir in flour,salt,and sugar until the mixture forms a ball. Transfer the dough to a large mixing bowl. Using a wooden spoon or stand mixer, beat in the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each. Drop by teaspoons onto a baking sheet.
4. Bake for 20 minutes in the preheated oven, until golden brown. Centers should be dry.
5. When the shells are cool, either split and fill them with the pudding mixture, or use a pastry bag to pipe the pudding into the shells.I have a handy dandy squirter I aquired some time ago that works perfectly
6. melt 1/2 bag sem-sweet chocolate and drizzle or spread on top, covering the holes used to pipe the filling in

Vic’s Cinnamon Twists

Vic brought these treats into work one day when she was in town and I couldn’t stop thinking about them for months. I finally got the guts to ask if she had a recipe, which she happily shared and now I make them every month or two and they are a huge hit. They are fairly simple, being just a bread dough dipped in cinnamon sugar and baked, but the result is addictive.  I also found you can cut the recipe in half, using 2 eggs.

This makes about 36 twists

preheat oven 375′

Dough Ingredients:

2 cups warm/almost hot water

5 pkgs yeast

1 cup sugar

1 tsp vanilla

1/4 tsp lemon extract

dash nutmeg

1 cup melted butter

3 eggs

1/2 dry milk

9 cups flour

In Kitchen-Aid mixer:

soften yeast in warm water. Add sugar,butter,eggs,vanilla,lemon,nutmeg. Stir in half the flour and the dry milk. Stir in remainder of the flour until a soft dough forms. Cover lightly and let rise until double-should rise fairly quickly from the amount of yeast in it.

melt 1 cup butter

make 2-3 cups cinnamon-sugar for dipping (better to have extra than not enough)

roll dough into ropes about 6-8 inches long. Dip into melted butter, then roll in cinnamon sugar and tie in a knot (looks similar to a pretzel). 

This is messy-the only advice I have is I hold my dough in the middle and let it drape over my finger and drag it through the butter. I use one hand for the butter dipping and keep the other hand for coating the cinnamon sugar as needed. It’s messy and delicious-and kids will love to help but make sure you are feeling patient for messes!

Lay 6 to a cookie sheet and let rise. Bake 12-15 minutes.

Store in an airtight bag. Wonderful if warmed slightly,about 10-15 seconds in a microwave.

Sweet Cinnamon Popcorn

If you are stuck in the old way of salt and butter on popcorn, here is a new twist. This is for the nights when you want salty sweet. Personally, cinnamon is my latest addiction. It’s hard for me to resist and I don’t want to stop eating it. There are variations, of course, but this is by far my most favorite way to eat popcorn.

Pop your popcorn in the hot air popper. Butter as desired, plus extra. I recommend you use a spoon. You really want the butter to coat evenly. Then sprinkle with a touch of salt, and the a couple of teaspoons of sugar, and some cinnamon. It’s important to stir this well. Absolutely delicious!

Christmas Cranberry Salad

My first big job out of high school was at a local steakhouse. We made a cranberry salad around the holidays that was so sweet/sour/addictive I had a hard time not eating myself sick on it. This recipe I found in an old cookbook that was a gift from my boss at that time-I don’t think it was the same exact salad, but I have the same difficulty not eating the entire batch in one night.

Cranberries are so intensely sour and coupled with the sweet pineapple and marshmallows, creates the ultimate combination.

1 package fresh cranberries

1 cup sugar

1 cup drained crushed pineapple

4 cups mini marshmallows

1 cup whipped cream or cool whip

process cranberries in food processor until finely ground. Pour into large bowl and add sugar and pineapple, then marshmallows.

*At this point you can allow it to set overnight if you want/need to.

Add whipped cream just before serving

Roasted Green Chili Cheese Dip

My mom made this chilis and cheese dip one year for the holidays. It’s super easy and I love it. You can serve it with crackers as spread when it’s cool, or warm it up in the microwave and serve it more as a dip. It’s slightly spicy but not overwhelming. So easy anyone can do it

1 block (8 oz) cream cheese, softened

1 can (4oz) diced fire roasted mild green chili’s

2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese

mix together, if it needs to soften, microwave in increments of 15 seconds. Do not completely melt the cheddar cheese, only soften enough to mix.

Serve warm with an assortment of crackers!

Curried Butternut Squash Soup

This was an adaptation on a recipe I found. The amount of curry was too much and I felt like it would have been nicer to just enjoy the mellow taste of the squash.  So this is with just a hint. I also fudged on my broth and had to use some bullion cubes which made it too salty. Unsalted broth would be better so you can just add salt to taste at the table.

This is rich and hearty, perfect for lunch or as a dinner with some fresh bread. This recipe serves 4.

Butternut Squash Soup

 

2 butternut squashes, halved gutted, rubbed with olive oil, and roasted in the oven at 400′ until cooked through-about 1-1 1/2 hours. let cool until you can peel.

Sautee until soft:

1 TB olive oil

1 small onion, diced

1 clove garlic,minced

add squash in chunks taking care not to scorch

add 6 cups low sodium chicken broth  and 1 tsp curry powder

simmer uncovered, stirring occasionally for 20 minutes

remove from heat and stir in 2 TB honey.

blend in blender, in batches if necessary, until smooth

serve immediately with plain yogurt or creme fraiche drizzled on top