Sweet and Sour Pork (or Chicken)

Dip chunks of pork (or chicken) in egg, then in a mixture of 1c. flour and 1 tsp. baking powder. Cook in oil.

Add:
2 c Ketchup
1/4 c vinegar
3/4 c sugar
chopped onion
2 chopped green peppers
1 can pineapple tidbits w/ juice

Steam until vegetables are tender. In needed thicken with cornstarch (I never do). Serve over rice.

*I never do the egg, flour step. I just brown the meat in oil. It saves a little time, and still is REALLY good!

Melt-in-your-mouth Caramels

3/4 cup butter

1 cup light corn syrup

2 1/4 cup firmly packed light brown sugar

1/2 cup water

1 cup whipping cream

1 tablespoon lemon juice

dash of salt

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

Butter the inside of an 8x8 disposable aluminum pan (they come in sets of 3).

In a large pot over medium-low heat, combine all ingredients except the vanilla. Stir until the sugar is dissolved.

Increase heat to medium and simmer. Stir occasionally. Cook until it is between 135 degrees and 140 degrees on a candy thermometer. (I like them soft but not gooey).

Remove from heat and pour in vanilla. It will bubble up, so make sure you have it in a large enough pot.

Carefully pour into the prepared pan. Chill for a few hours.

Remove from pan and cut into bite sized pieces. Wrap in wax paper or candy cellophane.

These stay good in the fridge for several weeks- but put them in an airtight container.

Amy's Favorites...

I'm a bit late in my post about my favorites, but here goes...


Aimee's Sour Cream Coffee Cake
Melissa's updated version of our Spinach and Artichoke Dip
Mel's Bakes Ziti. I loved it when I was laid up.
Jackie's Holiday Pretzel Treat
My Banana Bars from the Lion House Cookbook
January's Texas Sheet Cake
Mel's Molaskas

Breakfast Tacos

These breakfast tacos are great on the go. I make a huge batch in advance and then wrap them individually in plastic wrap or a baggie and pop them in the freezer. Then, when I want a quick breakfast, I take it out, microwave it for 1 minute (if still frozen, 30 seconds if thawed) and eat! I also will grab one on my way out the door and just pop it in the microwave when I get to work. You can really pump these up with more vegetables or more meat if you prefer...or you could also add potatoes....just throw in there whatever you like.

Ingredients:
1/2 onion chopped
1 bell pepper chopped (I prefer yellow/orange/or red)
1 cup shredded cheese (whatever you prefer, I used cheddar)
1 hand full of fresh spinach
salt and pepper to taste
9 eggs
16 tortillas
2 teaspoons of Mrs. Dash
1 tablespoon Oil or butter (I used olive oil)
1/2 to 1 cup of chopped up ham, bacon, or some other breakfast meat, I really like the ham, so I put about a cup in there but for bacon bits I would probably use less.

Place oil in large skillet and melt, then add onions and peppers (and any other veggies you might want to throw in there). Once they have started to get translucent and toasty, add the spinach and stir it around until it is fully wilted, then add the seasonings and continue to stir as needed.

While that is cooking, I will lay out about 5 tortillas and put a little shredded cheddar on each.

Back to the skillet....Crack your eggs into a container and mix them with a fork to break them up, then add them to the skillet. You can also add a little milk here if you prefer...or cream if you want to live high on the hog. Continue stirring to make scrambled eggs until they are done to the firmness that you desire. My husband wants them WAY done...no question on whether they are cooked...so that is how I do it. That is what you get when you have a Poultry Scientist for a hubby.

Once the eggs are done, taste them to make sure the seasoning is right, then just take a large spoon and place the egg mixture down the middle of every tortilla, fold the tortilla in half and then wrap up in plastic wrap or place in a baggie. You can really make these tacos or burritos...its your choice. Then, I usually hold a few out for tomorrow's breakfast and just put those in the fridge, and the rest I place in the freezer individually wrapped.

I love them! I made 16 last time I made them but if you want to bulk them up a bit, you would make less and use more filling. This is a great grab and go breakfast on those busy mornings....and its easy for older kids to fix themselves since it just involved a microwave.

Pizza Loaf

This is fun for FHE!

1 loaf frozen bread dough, thawed
2 eggs, separated
1 Tbsp grated Parmesan cheese
1 Tbsp EVOO
1 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp garlic pwd
1/4 tsp pepper
8 oz pepperoni slices
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
1 can sliced ripe olives
1 medium green pepper
1 can pizza sauce (I used spaghetti sauce)

Roll out dough on baking sheet (or counter). In a bowl combine egg yolks, Parmesan cheese, oil, oregano, garlic powder and pepper. Brush over dough. Sprinkle with pepperoni, mozzarella, peppers & olives. Roll up jelly roll style, pinch ends together.

Brush with egg whites. DO NOT LET RISE. Bake at 350 degrees for 35-40 minutes or until golden brown. Slice and dip in pizza sauce!

Chicken Pot Pie

A little bit of work, but well worth the effort! I double this recipe and it makes 4 potpies in an 8" square foil pan that freeze very well!

Pie Crust
2 1/2 cups flour
1 tsp salt
1 tsp sugar
2 sticks butter (unsalted)
4-10 Tbsp ice water -- add water by the Tbsp until it is pie crust consistency (The amount fluctuates depending on the temp and consistency of your butter.)

Filling
2 1/2 cups cooked cubed chicken (or turkey)
2 cups fresh/frozen peas
1/4 cup chopped onion
3 large carrots sliced
2 med/large potatoes peeled, cubed and parboiled

White Sauce
6 Tbsp butter
6 Tbsp flour
2 cup half-half
1 cup chicken broth
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper

Instructions:
Roll out 2/3 of pie dough and place in the bottom of two 8" square foil pans. (Save 1/3 for the tops of the pies.) Make white sauce in sauce pan by melting butter and stirring in flour with a whisk until smooth and bubbly. Whisk in half-half, chicken broth, salt & pepper. Continue cooking, stirring occasionally until sauce thickens. Stir hot sauce into a large bowl with the remaining filling ingredients. Pour filling ingredients into pie crust. Roll out remaining pie crust and place on top of filling. Flute edges to seal. Make three small slits in the top of the crust and lightly brush with milk. Bake for 50-60 minutes at 375 degrees.

These freeze REALLY well. However, they must be THAWED before baking. I will usually pull mine out a day ahead of time and put in the fridge. . . . Enjoy!

Carnitas with Grilled Salsa Verde

Amazing, and sooo much flavor! I got this recipe from my Bon Appetit magazine. It's from a restaurant in Chicago, Table Fifty-Two (that appears to be pretty fancy). I only made the meat and used my favorite tomatillo sauce for my carnitas. But I put the grilled salsa verde recipe at the bottom. I'll try it someday... but I wanted to stick with what I knew to be good, real good. The meat is my new favorite, and will replace my recipe for the tomatillo burritos.

3 1/2 oz. achiote paste (about 1/2 package) {the pkg I found was exactly 3 1/2 oz.}
8 garlic cloves, peeled
2 jalapeno chiles, chopped with seeds
1/2 cup distilled white vinegar
3/4 cup orange juice
1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro with stems
1/3 cup fresh lime juice
2 1/2 teaspoons coarse kosher salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
5 pounds boneless pork shoulder (Boston butt), cut into 2 inch cubes
20 corn or flour tortillas
Grilled Salsa Verde (recipe below)
Sour cream
chopped red onions

Preheat oven to 300 F. Puree first 10 ingredients in blender until smooth.

Arrange pork in large roasting pan. Add achiote puree; mix to coat pork. Cover pan tightly with foil. Roast pork until very tender, stirring occasionally, about 3 1/2 hours. Cool slightly. Coarsely shred pork. Mound pork in large bowl; add enough juices from roasting pan by 1/4 cupfuls to moisten as desired.

Wrap tortillas in paper towels or clean kitchen towel. Microwave on high until headed through, about 1 minute. Fill warm tortillas with carnitas. Top with Grilled Salsa Verde, sour cream and red onions.

{I just put the meat and puree in the crock pot all day}

Grilled Salsa Verde
{makes about 3 1/2 cups}

nonstick vegetable oil spray
2 pounds tomatillos, husked, rinsed
1 cup coarselty chopped fresh cilantro
1/4 cup warm water
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1 jalapeno chile, halved, seeded

Spray grill racks with nonstick spray. Prepare barbecue (medium-high heat). Grill tomatillos until slightly softened and charred in spots, about 15 minutes. Transfer to processor. Add cilantro, 1/4 cup warm water, lime juice and jalapeno; process until almost smooth. Transfer salsa to medium bowl. Season to taste with salt.

Easy Italian Pasta Bake

This is another recipe from the Kraft Food & Family website. I've decided I'm only going to cook 'fancy' meals once or twice per week and will do easy/cheap meals the other nights. This falls into the latter category.

1 lb. lean ground beef {or turkey or sausage}
3 cups whole wheat penne, cooked & drained {I only boiled mine for 6 mins. b/c it's going to be baked and I didn't want it to get soggy}
1 jar spaghetti sauce
1/3 cup grated parmesan cheese
1 1/2 cups grated mozzarella
1 tsp italian seasoning
3 cloves garlic, minced

Heat oven to 375*. Brown meat in large skillet with italian seasoning and garlic. Drain. Add pasta, sauce and 1/2 the parmesan and mix well. Spoon into 9x13 pan and top with remaining cheeses. Bake for 20 mins. I served mine with Rhodes rolls and steamed broccoli. Yummy!

Chicken Enchilada Soup

This is one of those recipes that I can't wait for the next day so I can eat the leftovers!

3-4 chicken breasts, boiled and cubed
1/2 c. diced onions
1 T. garlic, minced
4 c. chicken broth
1 c. tomato sauce
1 c. fresh, diced tomatoes
16 oz Velveeta cheese
1 tsp. chili powder
1 small can diced green chilies (optional)
salt and pepper to taste (I never add any)
1 1/2-2 Tbsp Taco seasoning
1/2 tsp. cumin (optional)

Mix together before adding to pot:
1/2 c. corn starch
2 c. cold water

Add all ingredients together. Cook over medium heat until heated through, stirring occasionally. Serve with corn chips, sour cream, grated cheese and salsa.

Corn Chowder

Here's another soup recipe! I need spring to come!

2/3 cup celery, chopped
1/3 cup butter
2 1/4 cup water
4 cups potatoes, cubed
3 green onions, sliced

Simmer for 20 minutes.

6 Tbsp butter
6 Tbsp flour
2 1/2 cups milk

In a separate saucepan, combine to make white sauce. Then add the following to the white sauce:

1 1/2 tsp dill weed
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper

Add white sauce to vegetables, and then add the following:

1 bag frozen sweet white corn
2 cups grated cheddar cheese

Heat through and serve with your favorite bread! Yummy!

Spicy Spinach Artichoke Dip

1/2 white onion, diced
1 clove garlic, minced
1 medium jalapeno, minced (seeds removed for a milder flavor)
1/2 red pepper, diced
3T butter
1 10oz pkg frozen spinach, thawed (squeeze to remove most of the water)
1 can artichoke hearts, diced
1 8oz pkg cream cheese
1 cup sour cream
6 oz shredded Parmesan cheese
1 t salt
1/2 t white pepper
1 pkg blue corn tortilla chips

In a large skillet, melt better. Add jalapeno, cook 2 to 3 minutes. Add garlic and onion and cook another 5 minutes, until onions begin to turn clear. Add red pepper and cook 2 to 3 minutes. Add spinach and artichokes, heat through. Cut up the cream cheese into about 8 chunks and add with the sour cream. Cook until the cream cheese is melted and mixture is smooth. Add salt, pepper and 1/2 the Parmesan cheese. Heat about 3 minutes, until cheese is melted. Pour into a greased shallow dish (8" square or similar). Top with remaining Parmesan cheese. **Bake at 350 for 20 to 25 minutes, until hot and bubbly and top starts to turn brown. Serve with blue corn tortilla chips.

**This can be made a couple of days in advance then covered and refrigerated until ready to serve. If heating from the refrigerator, it will need to be cooked for 30 to 40 minutes.

Heather's favorites

Hello...

I don't think I was on here last May, so this will be my first "favorites" post! Wahoo!

My favorite salad Asian Chicken Salad http://recipestop.blogspot.com/2008/07/asian-chicken-salad.html

Jenn posted this Garlic Basil Shrimp and I have made it a bunch and used chicken and spinach in it and it is still so fab... http://recipestop.blogspot.com/2008/08/garlic-basil-shrimp.html

Mel's Chocolate Chip Cookies are my all time fav cc cookie. I have even substituted the flour for whole wheat pastry flour and they still are so yummy. http://recipestop.blogspot.com/2008/08/mels-award-winning-chocolate-chip.html

My favorite way to cook veggies is roasted http://recipestop.blogspot.com/2008/07/roasted-broccoli-roasted-chicken.html

My sister's Monterrey Chicken is so versatile and easy, I make it all the time and change it up here and there to make it last for 2-3 meals http://recipestop.blogspot.com/2008/07/monterrey-chicken.html

I have made Jenn's Mom's Whole Wheat Bread lots of times http://recipestop.blogspot.com/2008/05/100-whole-wheat-bread.html and I love the sandwich bread recipe for a lighter loaf http://recipestop.blogspot.com/2008/03/honey-whole-wheat-sandwich-bread.html And Tiffany's view on how to make better wheat bread opening my world to dough enhancer and wheat gluten and I am forever grateful for that! http://recipestop.blogspot.com/2008/08/tips-for-better-whole-wheat-bread.html

And I love Le Madeleine's Tomato Basil Soup http://recipestop.blogspot.com/2007/12/lamadeleines-tomato-basil-soup.html


And that is more than 5...oh well...I am an overachiever, what can I say?

I also wanted to add that if any of you are Enrichment Leaders in your ward, I have a blog of HFPE ideas and random thoughts at http://thebeautifulbasics.blogspot.com/

Happy Eating!

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Brownies

OK, so I just had these last night and they were so yummy! I haven't made them, yet -- but I sure enjoyed eating them -- so here's the recipe. (Courtesy of Kellie Munster)

Brownies
1/2 cup butter or marg
2 squares unsweetened chocolate
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
3/4 cup flour
1/2 cup chopped nuts (I would leave these out)

Melt butter and chocolate. Remove from heat and stir in sugar. Add eggs and vanilla, beat lightly just until combined (don't over beat). Stir in flour and nuts. Spread batter into a greased 9 x 13 pan.

Cookie Dough
(This looks just like the Toll House recipe)

2 1/4 cup flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1 cup butter/marg (I would use 1/2 butter and 1/2 shortening)
3/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla
2 large eggs
2 cups chocolate chips
1 cup chopped nuts (I would leave these out)

Combine flour, baking soda & salt. Beat butter sugars and vanilla in a large mixing bowl until creamed. Add eggs. Gradually beat in flour mixture. Stir in chocolate chips and nuts. Drop dough by tablespoons evenly in brownie batter.

Bake brownies 35-40 minutes on 350 or until toothpick comes out almost clean. Cool completely and frost with frosting.

Frosting
4 oz semi sweet chocolate
3 Tbsp butter
3 Tbsp hot water
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar

Melt chocolate and butter. Remove from heat and stir in water and powdered sugar. Mix well and spread over brownies!

Dessert Favs from the Farm

Oh my Goodness! I must say that just about any dessert is my favorite! Here are a few that I make quite a bit . . .

Malaskas
Caramel Apple Crisp
Better than Canadian Sex
With a few additions! I add chopped nuts to the crust and do a layer of vanilla pudding, too!
Texas Sheet Cake

I am really sad to say that I could sit down and eat each of these desserts, in there entirety by myself. I'm gaining weight just thinking about eating them! Thanks for all your contributions -- I love this blog and am at a total loss for what to fix for dinner when my computer is down!

request: favorite desserts

Michelle has spoken. She would like a favorite desserts post! Hop to it!

Michelle's personal favorites from this fabulous recipe blog.

These are not in any kind of order

-Cajun Chicken Linguini
-Tomatillo Burritos
-Carmelized Garlic Chicken
-Honey Lime Chicken Enchiladas
-Sweet and Sour Chicken

I think favorite desserts need to be a separate category!

request: favorites

So, I made a request last May for everyone to list their favorite recipes. I got a whopping TWO responses {other than mine.} Meggs and Kristin are exempt from this second request. Will you create a post {labeled favorites} and link to your top 5 recipes from the site? They can either be yours or one you found on this blog. Pretty please?

Balsamic Pork Loin morphed into pulled pork sandwiches on Day 2

The pork loin recipe comes from Robin Miller of Quick Fix Meals. I really love balsamic vinegar, so this is a great way to add some rick flavor. You could also do this with pork chops.

Balsamic Roasted Pork Tenderloin

Ingredients:
Two 2 pound pork tenderloins trimmed of silver skin if necessary.
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons of honey
2 tablespoons of Dijon Mustard
2 teaspoons of chopped fresh thyme or about half as much dried.

Directions:

Coat a shallow roasting pan with cooking spray. Place the pork in the pan and season the top and sides with salt and pepper. In a small bowl, whisk together the vinegar, honey, mustard, and thyme. Spoon the mixture over the pork then roast for about 45 minutes or until an internal temperature of 165 degrees F is reached. Baste every 15 minutes if possible.

Let the pork stand for 10 minutes before slicing enough for your dinner, I think this will feed 4-6 people.

The leftover pork can be refrigerated for up to 3 days or frozen for 3 months.

Pulled Pork BBQ Sandwiches:

Ingredients:
The 2nd pork loin from the above recipe and any leftovers
a bottle of your favorite BBQ sauce, I like KC Masterpiece
Kaiser rolls

Take the pork tenderloin and with 2 forks, pull apart the pork so it is shredded. Take the port and put it in a pot, empty the bottle of barbecue sauce in and mix. I would probably add 1/4 to 1/2 cup of water to thin it out a little if it seems too thick. Cook until warmed through and the pork is coated in the sauce.

Warm Kaiser rolls in over or toast them. Serve the BBQ pork on Kaiser rolls, I would add mustard and a pickle, but that is just me.

And there you go...2 meals and basically just one prep and a warm up!

YUMMMMM!

Creamy Mushroom and Chicken Soup

This is really YUM! Perfect for a cold day!

6 Tbsp butter
1 medium onion, chopped
3 Tbsp flour
2 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
6 cups chicken broth
1 1/2 pound mushrooms, sliced
3/4 cup celery, chopped
3/4 cup carrots, chopped
2 cups quartered baby red potatoes
1 cup yellow squash
1 1/2 cups frozen corn kernels, thawed
2 tsp thyme
2 cups light cream
3/4 cup grated Parmesan
2 cups chopped cooked chicken

In a large pot, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the onion and saute until tender, about 6 minutes. Stir in the flour, salt and pepper and mix until smooth. Gradually add the broth, then turn up the heat up to medium high and bring the soup to a boil. Add the mushrooms, celery, carrots, potatoes, squash, corn and thyme. Reduce the heat and simmer the soup, covered until the vegetables are tender.

Add the cream, Parmesan and chicken. Heat the soup for an additional 10 minutes -- do not let the soup boil. Makes about 15 cups.

Mulligatawny

Don't ask me how to pronounce it -- just trust me it's pretty good. We are freezing our behinds off here in Idaho this week so I've got a couple of soup recipes to add to the blog!

4 Tbsp butter (or 2 Tbsp EVOO)
1 onion, chopped
2 carrots, chopped
1 celery stalk, chopped
1 green pepper chopped
1 apple, cored, peeled & chopped (I used a gala -- but would use a granny smith in the future)
1 1/2 pounds of boneless skinless chicken breasts chopped
1/2 cup flour
2-3 tsp curry powder
5 cups chicken broth
1 can diced tomatoes, drained
salt & pepper to taste
hot cooked rice to serve soup over

Melt the butter, in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onions, carrots, celery, green pepper, apple and chicken and saute for about 15 minutes or until chicken is cooked. Turn heat to low.

In a small bowl mix together the flour and curry powder. Add the mixture to the pot, then stir and cook for 3-5 minutes. Add the chicken broth and tomatoes. Partially cover the pot and simmer the soup for about an hour, stirring occasionally. Add the salt and pepper to taste.

To serve, place about 1/4 cup of rice in a bowl and ladle the soup over the rice.