Sweet Pepper Rice

This is the perfect side for a Mexican style meal. Tonight we're eating it with chicken green chili quesadillas (Bajio knockoff). I'll post that recipe later

From "Our Recipe Club"

3 TBSP butter

1 sweet onion, finely chopped

1/2 red pepper, finely chopped

1/4 cup cilantro, chopped

1/2 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. garlic powder

1/4 cup sugar

1 1/3 cup long grain white rice

3 cups chicken stock

in a large saute pan, melt butter & add onion & pepper.  cook until soft & onion is translucent.  add cilantro & salt & garlic powder, cook another minute. add rice & brown.  watch closely as not to burn.

dissolve sugar into chicken stock.  when completely dissolve, add to rice.  bring to a simmer, turn to low & cover.  cook covered for 30 minutes.  fluff with fork.  

Perfect Pie Crust

This is a combination of a pie crust recipe from my great grandma Petersen and Pioneer Women's website:

For a nine inch, two crust pie:

2 ½ cups all purpose or pastry flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon to 1 tablespoon sugar (for a fruit pie. Omit sugar for a savory pie.)
1 cup cold butter, cut into chunks
¼ cup cold water

Mix flour, salt, and sugar together. Cut in cold butter until it resembles large crumbs. Add cold water and stir (I usually use my hands) together until it all forms into dough.

Divide the dough into two balls. Roll each ball out on parchment paper with a little flour so you don't incorporate too much flour into the dough, if you roll just with flour you'll have to use more to prevent sticking. Using two pieces of parchment paper (or wax paper in a pinch) the dough can be rolled without sticking and transferred to the pie dish without tearing. Because the ratio of flour and fat has been maintained, the baked crust is tender and delicious! So you chose, but those are the results. Roll until dough is about 11" in diameter. Transfer one piece to pie dish. Pick filling (another post on that later). Put 2nd piece of dough on top in a pattern (lattice, cut out shapes, etc) or as a whole piece (but make sure to puncture holes).  Finish edges. Brush with an egg wash (1 egg + 1 Tbsp water whisked together).

  

If I'm using this for a fruit pie I brush it with an egg wash and then sprinkle course sugar on top. It makes for SUCH a nice texture when eating the pie!!!

Put pie on baking sheet. Bake at 425 for 30 minutes, then lower oven temp to 375 and bake until juices bubble, 20 - 40 minutes more.

Be patient. As long as the pie crust is covered to prevent over-browning, the pie can continue to bake.

Creamy chicken and mushroom potpie

This is in the crock pot right now and smells divine!!

Combine in crockpot:
-8 ounces mushrooms, stems trimmed and halved if large
-4 carrots, cut into 1" pieces
-1 medium onion, chopped
-1/3 c all-purpose flour
-1/2 cup water
-2 sprigs fresh thyme (or about 1/2 tsp dried powder)
-1 bay leaf

Place on top:
1 1/2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts (or thighs)
salt and pepper

Cover and cook on low for 7 - 8 hours or high for 4 - 5 hours.

Thirty minutes before serving, heat oven to 425. Using a 4 1/2" cutter or large glass, cut into 4 circles, place on baking sheet and cook for 8 - 10 minutes:
-1 sheet puff pastry (half a 17.3 ounce package), thawed.

Ten minutes before serving, add to crockpot and stir to combine:
- 1 cup frozen peas
- 1 cup frozen green beans or corn
- 1/3 cup heavy cream
- 1/2 tsp salt

To serve, place chicken mixture in bowls and top with pastry rounds.

Soy-glazed chicken with stir-fried vegetables

In a 4 - 6 qt crock pot, mix together:
1/2 cup brown sugar
3 Tbsp soy-sauce
3 Tbsp lemon juice
2 Tbsp Asian fish sauce
1 Tbsp grated fresh ginger
1/4 tsp crushed red pepper (optional)

Add:
1 1/2 lbs chicken (thighs or breasts) and turn to coat in above mixture

Cover and cook until chicken is tender, on low for 7 - 8 hours, on high for 4 - 5 hours.

Twenty minutes before serving prepare rice (we made ham fried rice).

Meanwhile, transfer the chicken to a plate. Pour the cooking liquid into a large skillet and boil until slightly thickened, 4 - 5 minutes.

Heat 1 Tbsp oil in a second large skillet over medium-high heat. Add:
3/4 lb snow peas
1 red bell pepper, sliced
4 scallions, cut into 2" lengths
2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
1 cup chopped broccoli

Toss frequently until veggies are tender, 4 - 5 minutes. Season with pepper. Serve with chicken and rice drizzled with cooking liquid.

Sausages with Sauerkraut and Potatoes

My sister in law gave me a copy of this months "Real Simple" magazine and there are some really great slow cooker recipes. I've made recipes from the magazine for the past 3 days. I love slow cooker recipes because you can get them going in the a.m. and have everything cleaned up and ready to eat come dinner time!

This recipe is very German. I love German food so I thought it was fantastic, Eric and the kids ate good portions of it and liked it (mostly the brats and toast.)

In a 4 - 6 qt slow cooker, mix together:
1 1/2 lbs red potatoes (halved if large)
2 cups sauerkraut, drained
1 small onion, thinly sliced
3/4 cup low-sodium chicken broth
1 tsp caraway seeds
salt and pepper

Nestle in vegetable mix:
1 1/2 lbs bratwurst links

Cover and cook until the potatoes are tender, on low for 7 - 8 hours or on high for 4 - 5 hours.

Sprinkle bratwurst, potatoes, and sauerkraut with 1/4 cup chopped flat-leaf (italian) parsley (I didn't do this because I forgot)

Serve with:
Toasted pumpernickel or rye (we chose dill rye) with butter and whole grain mustard for toast and brats.

Cheryl's Chicken Enchiladas

This recipe comes from our good family friend, Cheryl Moffat. These were a favorite in my family growing up and continue to be a favorite in my Ellis family :) They are simple to assemble, especially if you have shredded chicken prepared ahead of time. They are a very creamy version of enchiladas.

Combine and mix:
3 large chicken breasts cooked and cut up
2 cups cream of chicken (I just use 2 cans)
1 small diced chili or 1 can diced green chilies
1 pint sour cream
3 - 4 green onions, chopped ( I leave these out if I don't have them on hand though they are a GREAT addition)
2 cups Monterey Jack cheese

Put into (reserve a bit for topping):
1 dozen flour tortillas

Roll up tortillas and place them in a greased pan.

Top with:
Extra mixture combined with a little milk to thin it down
2 cups cheddar cheese

Cover pan with foil and bake at 325 for 40 - 50 minutes.

Soy Sauce Beef Tri-Tip/Tenderloin

Beef tenderloin or tri-tip (3 lbs)
1/2 cup butter, melted
3/4 cup soy sauce

Preheat oven to 350. Put beef in a shallow glass baking dish. Pour melted butter and soy sauce on top of beef. Cook for 10 minutes, then turn meat over and cook for another 35 - 40 minutes, basting occasionally until internal temp reaches 140 for medium. Add 10 - 15 minutes to have it more done.

Salty Sage Potatoes

I love finding new ways to prepare potatoes because potatoes are so cheap and a great addition to most the meals I make. This is easy and way yummy!!

What you need:
Potatoes
Sage Leaves (These are found in the produce section, they are fresh, not dried - took me forever to figure that out. I needed one container for 4 potatoes in a 9x13)
Coarse Kosher Salt
Olive Oil

Pick a cake pan (depending on how many potatoes you are hoping to make) and pour a thin layer of olive oil along the whole bottom. Pour the salt on top of that (for a 9x13 I do maybe 1 1/2 Tbsp). Pluck the sage leaves from the stems and lay them on top of the salt so they are evenly spread apart. Cut your potatoes in 1/2 length wise. Place potatoes, cut side down, directly on top of oil, salt, sage layers. Drizzle olive oil on tops of potatoes (the skins). Bake at 375 for about an hour, may need to adjust depending on your oven.

Serve these with the leaves on the potatoes (they sort of bake into the potato flesh), you eat the leaves and all and it is so dang yummy!

Tamales

I love tamales. They bring back good memories of buying chicken tamales (that included the bones) from a man standing on the side of a rural road in Belize and taking them to a schoolyard to devour with a fresh mango as a side dish. Delish! This recipe is as authentic as they come (minus any bones or weird parts of the animal). Now, after that tasty introduction you're probably dying to try them right??....Anyway, I promise, if you like tamales, have never tried tamales but have a taste for good latino food, these shouldn't disappoint. The recipe makes 40 - 50 tamales, but they freeze SUPER well and can be popped in the microwave for a quick but divine meal anytime. Mine were eaten real FAST so next time I'm doubling the recipe to make 100. This recipe is a mix of a recipe from a lady in my ward and a couple I found online.

The corn husks:

You will typically find these by the salad area of the produce dept in a grocery store (also the chilies will be found there). The package typically contains a lot of husks so just pull out about 50 (1/3 of the bag). Soak these in a bowl of water while preparing everything else.

The filling:

Cook 2 - 3 chicken breasts or a medium sized pork roast in a slow cooker and shred, or be lazy like me and use 2 cans of the Costco shredded chicken (or whatever other brand).

Boil: 

- 4 tomatillos, dehusked and cut into quarters

- 1 bag of Pasilla Chilies (these are typically found near the salad area of the produce dept in a grocery store, it is a clear bag with a few dried chilies in it, the one's at Smith's say "Chile Pasilla - Ancho") I break the stem off them before putting them in the pot but you don't have to

- Salted Water: enough to cover the tomatillos and chilies

When the tomatillos and chilies are soft, spoon them into a blender and puree them with a bit of the cooking water into smooth. While in the blender add and puree:

- 2 Tbsp minced garlic (optional)

- 1 can chopped tomatoes

- Cumin (1 - 3 tsp to taste)

Stir together meat and sauce until well mixed

The Masa:

4 cups masa (ground down cornmeal found by baking stuff or hispanic foods)

4 cups water with 4 chicken bullion cubes dissolved in it

4 tsp baking powder

2 tsp salt

1 1/3 cup crisco (either butter flavored or original)

2 Tbsp Adobo seasoning (optional but yummy - found by hispanic food, looks like hispanic seasoning salt)

Mix all ingredients with mixer.

Assembly:

Dry corn husks (should be soft and malleable) spread masa thinly across the smoother side of the corn husk from side to side and leave a little room on top (the wide end) and about 1/3 of the bottom (the narrow end) of the husk. This will allow you to not have tamale flowing out of the top and allow you to fold the bottom. After spreading masa, place filling in center of husk. After assembling a couple you'll get a feel for the amount of filling you should use so it isn't spewing out of the masa. Roll husk over filling to create a tube like form, pinch top to seal (may have to add additional masa) and fold up bottom of husk to close. Repeat until all filling and masa and husks are gone.

Steam 2 hours in steaming basket so that the tamales are not sitting in water. Note: when steaming place a dish cloth over the opening of the pot before putting lid on. This will help to keep condensation off the tamales.

These are best when cooled, then reheated, that way they set up all the way.

Here's a video on youtube on how to spread the masa etc. I don't fold over the top part of the husk and tie it, I only roll it, fold the bottom up and then place them in the steamer open side up.

http://www.monkeysee.com/play/12314-tamales-how-to-assemble-and-cook-your-tamales

Snickerdoodles

This is a super yummy and easy snickerdoodle recipe. I usually make the balls of dough rather large, like a golf ball and they spread out into giant buttery cookies!

Grease cookie sheets, place baking racks in top 1/3 of oven, and preheat oven to 350.

Sift together in a bowl:
1 1/2 cups flour
2 tsp cream of tartar
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt

In mixing bowl beat on medium speed until very fluffy and well blended:
1/2 lb (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
1 1/2 cups sugar

Add to butter mixture and beat until well combined:
2 large eggs

Stir flour mixture into butter mixture until well blended and smooth. Roll into 1 1/4 inch balls (if you want 3 dozen 3 1/2" cookies, larger for fewer but larger cookies). Roll balls in a mixture of:
1/4 cup sugar
4 tsp ground cinnamon

Place balls 2 3/4" apart or further if you made larger balls.

Cook 1 sheet at a time, until the cookies are light golden brown at the edges, 8 - 11 minutes. If you are feeling ambitious, rotate the sheet 1/2 way through baking time for even browning. Let stand on cookie sheet for a couple minutes, then transfer to cooling racks. Let cookie sheets cool between batches or cookies may spread too much.