Cranberry Sauce

Cranberry Sauce
Allrecipes.com

Ingredients

• 12 ounces cranberries
• 1 cup white sugar
• 1 cup orange juice

Directions

1. In a medium sized saucepan over medium heat, dissolve the sugar in the orange juice. Stir in the cranberries and cook until the cranberries start to pop (about 10 minutes). Remove from heat and place sauce in a bowl. Cranberry sauce will thicken as it cools.

Mexican Sour Cream Rice

Mexican Sour Cream Rice
adapted from ...and a Cookie for Dessert and A Taste of Home Cooking

1 cup uncooked long grain white rice
1 (14 ounce) can chicken broth
1 cup reduced fat sour cream
3 roasted hatch chilies, skin removed and chopped
1 (8.75 ounce) can whole kernel corn, drained
1/4 cup finely chopped fresh cilantro
salt and ground black pepper to taste

In a large pot, bring the rice and chicken broth to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer 20 minutes. In the pot with the cooked rice, mix the sour cream, hatch chilies, corn, and cilantro. Season with salt and pepper.

Creamy Buttermilk Coleslaw

Creamy Buttermilk Coleslaw
from Cooks Illustrated July 2002 and The Way the Cookie Crumbles

Serves 4

CI note: If you are planning to serve the coleslaw immediately, rinse the salted cabbage in a large bowl of ice water, drain it in a colander, pick out any ice cubes, then pat the cabbage dry before dressing.

1 pound cabbage (about ½ medium head), red or green, shredded fine (6 cups)
table salt
1 medium carrot, shredded on box grater
½ cup buttermilk
2 tablespoons mayonnaise
2 tablespoons sour cream
1 small shallot, minced (about 2 tablespoons)
2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley leaves
½ teaspoon cider vinegar
½ teaspoon granulated sugar
¼ teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper

1. Toss shredded cabbage and 1 teaspoon salt in colander or large mesh strainer set over medium bowl. Let stand until cabbage wilts, at least 1 hour or up to 4 hours. Rinse cabbage under cold running water. Press, but do not squeeze, to drain; pat dry with paper towels. Place wilted cabbage and carrot in large bowl.

2. Stir buttermilk, mayonnaise, sour cream, shallot, parsley, vinegar, sugar, mustard, ¼ teaspoon salt, and pepper together in small bowl. Pour dressing over cabbage and toss to combine; refrigerate until chilled, about 30 minutes. (Coleslaw can be refrigerated for up to 3 days.)

Pan-Fried Dumplings

Pan-Fried Dumplings
adapted from World Foodie Guide

48 round dumpling wrappers
1 lb bag cabbage & carrots slaw mix
3 Tbs fresh cilantro, chopped
1/2 serrano pepper, finely diced
1/4 tsp ginger
1/2 tsp garlic
1/2 pork
1/4 cup Kikoman soy sauce
Vegetable oil

I made half vegetable dumplings and half a combination of pork and vegetable.

1. Remove the dumpling wrappers from the freezer and let defrost while cooking the vegetables.

2. For the vegetable mixture add the slaw mix, cilantro, pepper, ginger, garlic, and half of the soy sauce to a frying pan. Heat over medium until the vegetables soften (about 8 minutes). Set aside in a bowl and let cool.

3. Fill a small bowl with water. Dip your finger in the water and outline a dumpling wrapper to moisten around the edge. Place about 1 teaspoon of vegetable mixture in the center of the wrapper. Fold the wrapper over and seal. Repeat this for 24 dumplings.

4. Heat about 3 Tbs oil in the frying pan over medium heat. Add 12 dumplings to the pan. Let fry until brown on one side (about 4 minutes). Add a cup of water to the pan and continue to cook for 1 minute. Strain the dumplings from the liquid and set aside in a single layer to cool. Repeat this step for the other 12 dumplings.

5. Cook pork in a pan over medium heat until brown. Set aside to cool. Mix the pork with the remaining vegetable mixture.

6. Repeat steps 3 and 4 with the pork/vegetable dumplings.

7. Serve with soy sauce or create your own dipping sauce.

BBQ Bean Soup

I saw a recipe on A Year of Slow Cooking Blog for a baked bean soup that tasted like pork and beans but better. It sounded great but I didn't have all the ingredients and I wanted to mix it up a bit. I also didn't feel like dragging out my crockpot so I just made this on the stove top. This is a very versatile recipe. If you want to make this as a side dish to take to a BBQ just reduce the water.



BBQ Bean Soup
Inspired by A Year of Slow Cooking

1 lb dry pinto beans or 2 cans pinto beans
2 cans tomato sauce
6 cups water
1 cup dark brown sugar
1 tsp garlic
1/2 onion
1 cup diced carrots
1/2 cup diced celery
3 strips thick bacon, cooked and crumbled
2 Tbs yellow mustard
1 Tbs red wine vinegar
1 Serrano pepper, finely chopped
1/2 cup Kraft Honey BBQ sauce


If using dry beans then rinse, boil, and let soak over night or use the quick method from the back of the bean package.

Toss all of the ingredients into a large stock pot and bring to a low boil for 2 hours. Stir occasionally. Or put all ingredients in a crockpot and cook on low 10 hours or high 5 hours.

Bacon Wrapped Grilled Asparagus

Bacon Wrapped Grilled Aparagus
By: Me

1 lb asparagus
2 Tbsp olive oil
salt and pepper
sliced bacon

Wash and trim asparagus. Place asparagus in a pan and drizzle with olive oil. Toss to coat. Season with salt and pepper. Bundle 3 asparagus together and wrap bacon around them. Secure with toothpicks. Repeat with remaining asparagus. Place on grill and cook for 5 minutes on each side or until bacon is cooked through and asparagus are tender.

Marinated Green Beans with Tomatoes and Feta

Marinated Green Beans with Tomatoes and Feta
From Allrecipes.com

2 pounds fresh green beans, trimmed
1/4 cup olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tomatoes, seeded and chopped
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 (8 ounce) package crumbled feta
1 bunch fresh oregano sprigs


1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over medium heat and drop in the green beans; cook until slightly tender, but still crisp, 8 to 10 minutes. Immediately drain the green beans and plunge into ice water to stop the beans from cooking further. Drain the beans and place them in a shallow serving dish.

2. Heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Cook garlic in the oil for about 30 seconds. Remove the skillet from the heat. Stir in the tomatoes, vinegar, oregano, salt, and pepper. Pour mixture over green beans. Toss together until beans are evenly coated. Sprinkle feta cheese over the top and garnish with oregano sprigs. Chill at least 3 hours before serving.

Slow Cooker Stuffed Peppers

Slow Cooker Stuffed Peppers
from Spice In My Life

Ingredients

4 large bell peppers
1 lb ground beef
1/4 cup chopped onion
1 small clove garlic finely chopped
1 can (8 oz) tomato sauce
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp cumin
Dash of red pepper
1/8 tsp cinnamon
1/3 cup uncooked rice
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup shredded cheese (I used and Italian cheese blend)

*I also added some shredded carrots and Worcestershire sauce

Directions

1) Cut thin slices from stem end of each bell pepper to remove top, seeds and membranes.
2) Rinse peppers.
3) Cook beef, onion, and garlic over medium heat in skillet until brown.
4) Drain.
5) Stir in tomato sauce, salt, cumin, cinnamon, and red pepper.
6) Stir in rice.
7) Divide beef mixture evenly among peppers.
8) Pour water into 3 1/2 to 4 quart slow cooker; stand peppers upright in cooker.
9) Cover and cook on low heat setting 4 to 6 hours or until peppers are tender.
10) Garnish with cheese.

Christmas Leftovers Take 4

Ham and Egg Fried Rice
Cooking Light September 2008

4 servings (serving size: about 1 1/4 cups)

Ingredients

• 4 cups cold cooked long-grain rice
• 1 1/2 tablespoons canola oil
• 1 1/2 cups chopped onion
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic
• 1 cup thinly horizontally sliced green beans
• 3/4 cup diced ham (about 4 ounces)
• 1/4 cup low-sodium soy sauce
• 2 1/2 teaspoons dark sesame oil
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
• 1/4 cup (1-inch) slices green onions

Preparation

1. Break up rice with hands to remove large clumps, if necessary.

2. Heat a 14-inch wok over high heat. Add canola oil to wok, swirling to coat. Add 1 1/2 cups onion and garlic to wok; stir-fry 1 minute or until onion begins to brown. Add beans and ham; stir-fry 2 minutes or until ham begins to brown.

3. Reduce heat to medium-high. Add cold rice to wok; stir-fry 2 minutes. Stir in soy sauce, sesame oil, and black pepper. Push rice mixture up sides of wok. Pour eggs in open space in center of wok; cook 30 seconds or until set, stirring to scramble. Gently stir scrambled eggs into rice mixture. Sprinkle with green onions.

Nutritional Information

Calories: 397 (29% from fat)

Fat: 12.8g (sat 2.3g,mono 5.4g,poly 3.2g)

Protein: 14.5g

Carbohydrate: 54.5g

Fiber: 2.8g

Cholesterol: 121mg

Iron: 3.3mg

Sodium: 868mg

Calcium: 57mg

This dish was pretty tasty but I didn't like the consistency. It was more like rice mush. I had sticky rice on hand but I probably should have used a long grain, less starchy rice.

Merry Christmas to All!

Christmas Menu

Whiskey Glazed Ham
Sweet Potato Casserole
Cauliflower Au Gratin
Cream Corn Muffins
Lindt Chocolate Cheesecake
Martini and Rossi Sparkling Wine


Whiskey Glazed Ham

1 half ham
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 Tbsp apricot marmalade
1 tsp spicy mustard
3 Tbsp Jack Daniels Whiskey

Place ham in a roasting pan. Cover with lid or aluminum foil. Cook for 3 hours at 350 degrees. In a sauce pan combine brown sugar, marmalade, mustard, and whiskey. Simmer over low heat for about 5 minutes. All ingredients should be well combines. Remove ham from oven. Remove lid or foil. Pour glaze over ham. Return to oven for an additional 30 minutes.


Sweet Potato Casserole

I made this dish last year for Thanksgiving. I think this is the best sweet potato casserole recipe and I don't want to make it any other way.


Cauliflower Au Gratin
recipe from my mom

1 head cauliflower
1 cup milk
2 Tbsp butter
4 slices Kraft singles cheese
1/3 cup mozzarella cheese, shredded
1/3 cup cheddar cheese, shredded

Trim green leaves and stalk from cauliflower. Rinse cauliflower under water. Place in a large pot and fill with two inches of water. Cover pot with lid. Steam over medium heat for 30 minutes or until a fork can easily poke through. Remove cauliflower from pot and place in an oven safe dish. Cover with 3 slices of Kraft cheese (trim cheese to fit if needed). Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a sauce pan, combine butter and milk. Simmer until butter is melted. Add 1 slice of Kraft cheese, mozzarella, and cheddar cheese. Continue to stir and simmer over low until cheese is melted. Pour sauce over cauliflower. Place cauliflower in oven. Bake until cheese is bubbly and begins to turn light brown (about 10 minutes but watch carefully).


Cream Corn Muffins

1 pkg Jiffy corn bread mix
1 egg
1 can cream corn
3 Tbsp sour cream
2 Tbsp butter, melted

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Combine all ingredients in a large bowl. Place nine baking liners in a muffin pan. Spray the liners with cooking spray. Divide the mixture evenly between the 9 muffin cups. Bake for 25 minutes at 400 degrees.

Lindt Chocolate Cheesecake

9 inch chocolate graham cracker crust
2 (8 oz) pkgs cream cheese
1 cup sweetened condensed milk (if you don't have sweetened condensed milk and you just realized it Christmas day and all the stores are closed then you can substitute according to the directions here)
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 c flour
3 oz bitter sweet Lindt baking chocolate
2 Tbsp whipping cream

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Melt the chocolate and whipping cream in the microwave for about 45 seconds, but watch carefully so you don't burn it. In a large bowl whip the cream cheese until soft and creamy. Slowly add the condensed milk. Add the eggs one at a time. Mix in the vanilla and salt. Slowly add the flour. Pour in the chocolate and smooth and well combined. Pour mixture into the graham cracker crust. Bake at 325 degrees for 1 hour. Remove from oven and let cool to room temperature. Place in the refrigerator for 4 hours or overnight. Serve cold.

Mustard Greens

I've never made Mustard Greens before but they were on sale this week so I thought I would try them. Most of the recipes I found were for Collard Greens or just Greens. This recipe is originally for Collard Greens but it worked just fine.


Boat House Mustard Greens
adapted from recipezaar.com

2 slices bacon, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
1/4 cup chopped onion
1 Tbsp butter
2 cups water
1 bunch mustard greens, stems removed and washed
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup maple syrup
2 tsp cayenne
2 tsp cajun seasoning
salt & pepper

In a large pot, cook bacon pieces until crisp. Add onion and butter and cook until onion browns. Add prepared greens to pot. Add water. Add sugar, syrup, cayenne, and cajun seasoning. Bring to a boil, and boil for one hour. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Thanksgiving 2008

I almost didn't have turkey this year for Thanksgiving. I spent most of the day in airports or on planes trying to get back to Phoenix. My lunch meal consisted of chips and salsa at the Dallas airport. My wonderful hubby made a turkey and sweet potato casserole and surprised me with it when I got home. I made some green beans, gravy, and pumpkin chiffon pie to complete the meal. It was a nice meal for two and we still have lots of turkey for leftovers.

Thanksgiving 2008
Brined Turkey (we used the same method as Last Year's T-Day)

Green Beans
4 strips of bacon cut into pieces
2 cups fresh grean beans washed and ends trimmed
1 cup water
1/2 tsp black pepper

Cook bacon until brown and crispy in a sauce pan. Drain the grease except for 2 tablespoons. Add water, green beans, and pepper to pan. Cover and cook over medium heat until beans are desired consistency.


Gravy
Drippings from turkey (up to 2 cups)
2 Tbs corn starch
pepper to taste

Add all ingredients to a sauce pan. Cook over medium heat until gravy thickens (about 10 minutes). Add more cornstarch if you like thicker gravy.


Pumpkin Chiffon Pie
as seen on Oprah

• 1 envelope unflavored gelatin
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp. ground allspice
• 1/4 tsp. ground ginger
• 1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg
• 3/4 cup milk
• 2 large eggs , separated, yolks beaten
• 1 cup canned pumpkin
• 4 1/2 cups heavy cream , whipped
• 1 (9-inch) graham cracker crust
• Shaved dark chocolate *I omitted this
  

Combine gelatin, 1/2 cup of sugar, salt, cinnamon, allspice, ginger and nutmeg in a saucepan. Stir in milk, egg yolks and pumpkin. Cook over medium heat until thick. Chill saucepan in refrigerator until partially set—about 1 hour.

In a bowl, beat egg whites until soft peaks form. Gradually add 1/4 cup of sugar and continue beating until stiff peaks form. Fold in 1/2 cup of whipped cream. Fold egg white mixture into filling. Pour filling into pie crust and chill for 1 hour.

Just before serving, top with remaining whipped cream and sprinkle some shaved dark chocolate on top. *I omitted this

Homemade Fries

This was actually Chase's creation. He wanted to make french fries just they do in restaurants. I think these turned out pretty good. The last batch was the best. When the oil was the hottest the fries turned out the crispiest. The seasoning we added made them even better.

Crash Hot Potatoes

This recipe seems to make an appearance almost daily on my Google Reader lately so I thought I should give it a try. It's ok but I don't think it is worthy of a fantastic or yum-o. I really don't understand the popularity of this recipe in the blogosphere. I prefer regular baked potatoes fully loaded. But if you want to try something a little different you can certainly give this a shot.

Crash Hot Potatoes
http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2008/06/crash-hot-potatoes/

Ingredients
- red potatoes
- season salt
- pepper
- olive oil
- herbs and seasoning (garlic, rosemary)

Directions
1. Begin by bringing a pot of salted water to a boil.
2. Add in as many potatoes as you wish to make, and cook them until they’re fork-tender.
3. Next, generously drizzle olive oil on a sheet pan. This will mean the difference between the potatoes sticking and not sticking, so don’t be shy here.
4. When the potatoes are tender, place them on the cookie sheet. Giving them plenty of room to spread out.
5. Next, grab your potato masher and gently press down on the potato until it slightly mashes. Then rotate the masher 90 degrees and finish flattening it.
6. Repeat until all are flattened.
7. Next, brush the tops rather generously with olive oil.
8. Next, sprinkle the salt, pepper, and herbs on top.
9. Now throw them onto the top rack of a very hot (450-degree) oven, and cook them for 20-25 minutes. Or until they’re golden and crispy and sizzling.

Happy Easter

I hope everyone had a fabulous Easter! I had a fun-filled day of cooking and eating. Even though I'm old now I still color a few eggs just like the good old days. It brings back memories.


After I colored some eggs I cracked them and turned them into deviled eggs.


I also cooked a small ham and glazed it with my secret sauce. This always turns out so good. My dad calls it carnivore candy.


For a side I made squash casserole. This was my first time trying this recipe and it is definitely a keeper. It was awesome! I've been looking for a good squash casserole recipe and now I don't have to look any further.



Yellow Squash Casserole
http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Yellow-Squash-Casserole/Detail.aspx

Ingredients

• 4 cups sliced yellow squash
• 1/2 cup chopped onion
• 35 buttery round crackers, crushed
• 1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 3/4 cup milk
• 1/4 cup butter, melted
• 1 teaspoon salt
• ground black pepper to taste
• 2 tablespoons butter

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
2. Place squash and onion in a large skillet over medium heat. Pour in a small amount of water. Cover, and cook until squash is tender, about 5 minutes. Drain well, and place in a large bowl.
3. In a medium bowl, mix together cracker crumbs and cheese. Stir half of the cracker mixture into the cooked squash and onions. In a small bowl, mix together eggs and milk, then add to squash mixture. Stir in 1/4 cup melted butter, and season with salt and pepper. Spread into a 9x13 inch baking dish. Sprinkle with remaining cracker mixture, and dot with 2 tablespoons butter.
4. Bake in preheated oven for 25 minutes, or until lightly browned.

I ended the day making some Easter cupcakes. Since they are not quite done I will have to post them later.

Broccoli Cheese Balls

I read several recipes for broccoli cheese balls but I ended up creating my own as I went along. These can be used as appetizers, a side dish, or even a vegetarian substitute for real meatballs. I love broccoli cheese soup so that was my inspiration for this creation. These broccoli balls would be a perfect side item or dipper for broccoli cheese soup. I thought the broccoli balls were kind of plain by themselves. They would be much better with some kind of dip or sauce. I also recommend adding some spices (i.e. Italian spices).


Broccoli Cheese Balls

2 cups bread crumbs (4 slices of bread)
1 cup broccoli, chopped
1/2 cup cheddar cheese, shredded
1 egg

Place broccoli in a microwave safe dish. Cover with plastic wrap. Cook in the microwave until tender. Drain liquid. Add bread crumbs, cheese, and egg. Stir until all ingredients are incorporated into a dough. Form into individual 1 1/2 inch balls.

Toaster oven: Cover tray with aluminum foil. Spray foil with cooking spray. Place balls on foil about an inch apart. Bake at 450 degrees for 5 minutes. Turn the balls over and bake for an additional 3 minutes.

Conventional oven: Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Cover baking sheet with aluminum foil. Spray foil with cooking spray. Place balls on foil about an inch apart. Bake at 450 degrees for 5 minutes. Turn the balls over and bake for an additional 3 minutes.

Sweet Potatoes

My co-worker Dara made this for our Thanksgiving Potluck at work and I had to have the recipe because it was by far the best sweet potato casserole that I have ever had. My husband said this was the best part of the meal, even better than dessert. The recipe came from Ruth's Chris Steakhouse. Dara said she went to the restaurant and tried the sweet potatoes and liked them so much that she called them and asked for the recipe. I never thought about asking a restaurant for the recipe but I will keep that in mind next time I like something when eating out.



Sweet Potato Casserole
Ruth's Chris Steakhouse

Sweet Potato Mixture

3 Cup Mashed Sweet Potatoes
1 Cup Sugar
½ Teaspoon Salt
1 Teaspoon Vanilla
2 Eggs, well beaten
1 Stick (1/2 cup) Butter

Crust Mixture

1 Cup Brown Sugar
1/3 Cup Flour
1 Cup Chopped Nuts (Pecans preferred)
1/3 Stick Butter, Melted

PROCESS

1. First, combine Crust Mixture in mixing bowl and hold on the side.
2. Combine Sweet Potato Mixture ingredients into a mixing bowl in the order listed. Combine thoroughly.
3. Pour mixture into buttered baking dish.
4. Sprinkle the surface of the sweet potato mixture evenly with the crust mixture.
5. Bake for 30 minutes at 350°. Allow to set at least 30 minutes before serving.

Cream Corn Casserole

Chase wanted cornbread stuffing and I wanted a vegetable so this was our compromise. I would describe this dish as part cornbread, part corn niblets, and part creamy goodness. I've made this several times in the past for potlucks and other occasions and it is always a hit. It is also really easy to make.



Cream Corn Casserole

1/2 cup butter melted
2 eggs, beaten
1 cup sour cream
1 can whole corn, drained
1 can cream corn
1 box Jiffy corn muffin mix

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Add all ingredients to a bowl in the order listed and mix with a spoon. Pour into a greased casserole dish and bake for 1 hour or until slightly brown on top.