Dried Cinnamon Apples

2 cups pineapple juice
8 oz. red hot candy
Apples

Heat to dissolve candy. Peel, slice and core apples and let them sit in the juice for a few minutes. Spray dehydrator racks with cooking spray. Drain apple slices and put them on the racks. Dry 10-12 hours. Store in airtight containers in a cool place.

NOTES:This recipe is from my aunt Sheila. YUM!

Butternut Squash Cake

CAKE:
6 Tbsp. butter, softened
1 1/2 cups sugar
1/3 cup vanilla yogurt
3 eggs
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. ground ginger
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg
2 1/2 cups flour
3/4 cups buttermilk
2 cups shredded peeled butternut squash (1 small)
1/2 cup chopped walnuts, optional

FROSTING:
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 package, 3 ounces, cream cheese, softened
4 cups powdered sugar
2-4 Tbsp. milk
1 1/2 tsp. maple flavor
1/2 cup chopped walnuts, optional

Heat oven to 350. Spray bottom of 13x9 with cooking spray.
In large bowl, beat 3/4 cup butter and the granulated sugar with electric mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy. Beat in yogurt and eggs until fluffy. Beat in baking powder, baking soda, salt, ginger, cinnamon and nutmeg. Add flour alternately with buttermilk, scraping side of bowl. Beat 1 minute. Stir in squash and 1/2 cup walnuts. Spread in pan.
Bake 30-40 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool completely.
In medium bowl, beat 1/2 cup butter and the cream cheese with electric mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy. Add powdered sugar, 2 Tbsp. milk and the maple flavor. Beat until smooth and creamy, adding additional milk if needed. Frost cake. Sprinkle with 1/2 cup walnuts. Cover and refrigerate.

NOTES:Hello fall! This is a great fall recipe. We had over 2 dozen butternut squash from one plant this year so I needed something creative to do with some of it. We loved it. I lightened it a bit from a Betty Crocker fall baking booklet I bought.

Double Chocolate Cherry Cookies

Before I started blogging, or even knew about blogging, I loved to collect those little Pillsbury and Betty Crocker cookbooks that you get at the checkout stand. I have a ton of them. This recipe comes from a Betty Crocker one with lots of fall baking recipes. I love anything dark chocolate and it usually pairs well with almost any fruit.

We had lots of cherries this year from our tree and I ended up dehydrating a bunch of them so they wouldn't go to waste, but I didn't really know what I was going to do with them. This ended up being the perfect to use some of them up.

1 1/4 cups sugar
1 cup butter, softened
1/4 cup milk
1/2 tsp. almond extract
1 egg
1 3/4 cup flour
1/3 cup unsweetened baking cocoa
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
1 cup quick-cooking oats
1 cup dark chocolate chips
1 cup dried cherries

Heat oven to 350. In stand mixer, fitted with a beater attachment beat sugar and butter until light and fluffy. Add milk, almond extract and egg, mixing to incorporate. Add in flour, cocoa, soda and salt and mix well. Switch to a paddle attachment and add in oats, chocolate chips and cherries, mixing well. Drop dough by rounded tablespoonfuls about 2 inches apart onto ungreased cookie sheets.

Bake 10-12 minutes.

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Barbecue Chicken Bacon Pizza with Caramalized Onions

Mmm, this is one of our favorite pizzas. If you're looking to change up pizza night at your house, try this! Here's a hint: get the bread going first, then while it's rising, caramelize the onion, crisp the bacon and cook the chicken. This is a quick weeknight meal or something fun for the weekend.

Makes 1 Pizza

1 recipe Perfect Pizza Crust
your favorite barbecue sauce (I used hickory flavored Bullseye)
1/2 chicken breast
1/2 lb. bacon
1/2 medium onion
mozzarella cheese

Peel onion and cut into thin slices. Heat a little oil in a frying pan, add onion, separating rings, then reduce heat to medium and cook until golden. Place bacon on cooking sheet and bake at 400 for about 12-15 minutes. While bacon is cooking, preheat barbecue grill; cut chicken breast into 3 tenders and coat with barbecue sauce. Grill 3-4 mintues on each side. Let rest and cut into tiny pieces. Remove bacon from oven and blot on paper towels. Crumble or cut into small pieces.

Make bread dough according to recipe. After is rises, roll out dough on a pizza stone; spread barbecue sauce first then layer the chicken, bacon, onions then cheese. Bake at 425 for about 15 minutes.

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Raspberry Lime Sheet Cake

For the cake:
2¾ cups all-purpose flour
1½ tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
½ tsp. salt
1½ cups sugar
Zest of two limes
½ cup canola oil
¼ cup plain yogurt
1 tsp. vanilla extract
¾ cup milk
1 tbsp. lime juice
2 cups fresh raspberries

For the glaze:
1 cup confectioners' sugar
1-3 tbsp. lime juice

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350° F. Lightly grease and flour a 9 x 13-inch baking dish.

In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Stir together and set aside. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the sugar and lime zest. Mix together with your fingers until the sugar is moist and fragrant. Add the canola oil and beat until combined. Mix in the yogurt and vanilla extract. In a measuring cup, combine the milk and lime juice. Stir in half of the dry ingredients on low speed, mixing just until incorporated. Mix in the milk mixture until smooth. Beat in the remaining dry ingredients on low speed just until blended. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and smooth with a spatula. Drop the raspberries evenly over the surface of the batter. Bake for 32-36 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Transfer the pan to a wire rack and let cool completely.

To make the glaze, place the confectioners' sugar in a bowl. Whisk in a tablespoon of lime juice, and adding more as needed until the glaze has reached a good consistency for drizzling. *Drizzle over the surface of the cooled cake. Let set before serving.

*Another option here would be to poke holes in the cake while it is warm and spoon the glaze over the whole cake (there was pleanty of glaze to do this.)


NOTES:Great and easy recipe, especially if you have access to fresh raspberries or just love them like I do. I think this would work fine with frozen raspberries as well; no need to thaw before dropping them on the cake. Recipe from Annie's Eats.

Tomatillo Salsa

Last year we planted 2 tomatillo plants in our garden because we thought it would be fun and something new. Unfortunately, they didn't do very well. This year, we made quite a bit larger garden plot and got a few more tips on gardening and decided to plant 6 plants! Wow, that was a lot. Tomatillos produce a lot of fruit. The good thing is they keep really well. When harvested, tomatillos keep, whole with husks on, for about a month in a zip-top bag in your fridge. You can also freeze them whole after washing and removing the husks.

Tomatillos are actually part of the gooseberry family, contrary to the misconception that they are tomatoes. This sweet fruit makes for a wonderful salsa verde and pairs perfectly with flavors like cumin and fresh cilantro.

This is a versatile salsa in that you can eat it with chips, cook it up with some chicken, add it to rice, on a burrito or even use it as a soup base for a white bean chicken chili.

5 1/2 cups chopped, cored, husked tomatillos (about 2 lbs.)
1 cup chopped onion
1 cup chopped green chili peppers (if you want to use fresh, use poblanos or anaheims)
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 Tbsp. minced cilantro
2 tsp. cumin
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. red pepper
1/2 cup vinegar
1/4 cup lime juice

Combine all ingredients in large sauce pot. Bring mixture to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer 10 minutes. Ladle hot salsa into hot jars, leaning 1/4-inch head space. Adjust two-piece caps. Process 15 minutes in a boiling water canner.

SOURCE:Ball Blue Book of Canning

Orange Cashew Chicken with Broccoli

5 Tbsp. vegetable oil
7 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-sized pieces
salt and pepper
1 large onion, thinly sliced
4 large garlic cloves, chopped
2 red bell peppers, seeded and sliced
1 16-oz bag broccoli florets
1 rounded tsp. red pepper flakes
1/2 Tbsp. ground coriander
zest and juice of 2 oranges
1/2 cup tamari
3 Tbsp. honey
3 cups chicken stock
1 Tbsp. cornstarch
1-3 cups roasted, unsalted cashews
1/2 cup fresh cilantro leaves

Preheat a large, deep skillet with 3 tbsp. oil. Season chicken with salt and pepper and brown. Remove chicken to a plate. Return skillet to heat and add 2 Tbsp. oil, onions, garlic, red bell pepper, broccoli, red pepper flakes, and coriander and cook, stirring frequently; 3-4 minutes, or until veggies are tender. Add orange zest and juice, tamari, and honey. Stir, scraping up brown bits. Add chicken stock and bring to a simmer. Return browned chicken to pan and cook another 5 minutes or until chicken is cooked through. Mix cornstarch with a splash of water in a bowl and add to pan to thicken. Add cashews and serve over ginger noodles. Garnish with chopped cilantro.

Serve with Ginger Noodles

NOTES:This is from Rachel Ray's 2, 4, 6, 8, Meals for Couples and Crowds and serves 8. We halved it for our family. It's delicious and goes really great with the noodles.

Ginger Noodles

salt
1 1/2 lbs perciatelli or bucatini pasta
2 T. vegetable oil
4-inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and grated
3 lg. garlic cloves, chopped
1 1/2 cup chicken stock
1/2 cup tamari
6 scallions

Heat pasta water. Add salt and cook to al dente. Drop pasta. Preheat large skillet over medium heat with oil. Add ginger and garlic and cook, stirring frequently, 2-3 minutes. Add chicken stock and tamari and bring to a simmer. Let it continue to simmer until pasta finishes. Drain pasta and add to skillet. Toss to coat and continue to cook until pasta has cooked up most of the liquid. Remove from heat and add scallions.

Serve with Orange Cashew Chicken with Broccoli

NOTES:This recipe is from Rachel Ray's 2, 4, 6, 8 Meals for Couples and Crowds cook book and serves 8. I halved it for our family. I also substituted ziti for the pasta and low sodium soy sauce for the temari. It turned out wonderful, it has great flavor!

Favorite Fruit Smoothie

1 cup fresh/frozen strawberries
1 sm/med banana
1/2 cup (more or less) chocolate soy milk

Puree in blender and enjoy!

NOTES:I like to use frozen strawberries so it's slushy and I don't have to add ice. This is from Bob Green's Best Life Diet; it's apparantly Oprah's favorite! I also do this with any combination of strawberries and raspberries and/or blueberries; cherries instead of strawberries or sometimes throw in apricot. The proportions are about a good size single serving.

Mustard Pickles

I had never heard of, let alone tasted, mustard pickles until I was in college. I had a roommate from Canada who brought these with her, along with dilly beans and ketchup chips after she would visit home. I begged her to get the recipe from her mother and thankfully she obliged but it stayed tucked in my recipe file for years until I had a garden of my own and grew my own cucumbers. I love this relish. It's great on tuna sandwiches or hamburgers.

4 quarts small (pickling) cucumbers (about 5 lbs.)
2 quarts onions (1-2 bags of regular size)
2 quarts cabbage (about 1 head)
1 red pepper
1 green pepper

Shred vegetables or chop very small and put in large kettle.

Sauce
12 cups sugar
4 tsp. celery seed
4 Tbsp. salt
6 tsp. turmeric
8 Tbsp. dry mustard

Add 2 quarts vinegar to the ingredients above.

Add the sauce to the vegetables and cook approximately 1 hour until vegetables are cooked.

Make a paste using 2 cups flour and 1-2 Tbsp. sugar. Add a cup of hot vegetables to flour mixture and mix well then pour into the whole batch and cook 1-2 minutes or until thickened.

Ladle into hot canning jars, leaving 1/4 inch head space; place lids and rings and process in hot water canner for 10 minutes.

Greek Tostadas

Tostadas: (recipes for each to follow)
Pita crisps
Grilled Greek Chicken, chopped
Chopped Greek Salad
Kalamata Olives


To assemble tostadas, lay out each pita crisp. Top with chopped chicken, Chopped Greek Salad and Kalamata oilves. Serve with Rice Pilaf, if desired.

Pita Crisps:
6 whole, prepared pitas (or make your own pitas)
4-5 Tbsp. olive oil
1-2 Tbsp. lemon juice
1-2 Tbsp. greek seasoning

Turn on broiler in oven. Lay out pitas on a cookie sheet. Combine olive oil, lemon juice and greek seasoning in a small bowl. With pastry brush, brush oil mixture liberally on top of each pita. Place under broiler for about 3 minutes, watching carefully! Take out when golden (they go from golden to burnt really quickly so don't walk away).


Greek Chicken:
1-1 1/2 lbs. boneless, skinnless chicken breasts (or chicken tenders)
olive oil
Greek seasoning (your favorite)
skewers

Preheat outdoor grill. Trim fat from chicken breasts and cut into strips (or just use chicken tenders which are already cut). Slide each piece onto a skewer and line up on a large plate or in a baking dish. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with Greek seasoning. Flip and do the same on the other side. Place skewers on grill and cook on medium-low 3-4 minutes on each side. Remove to a plate and let rest 5 minutes.


Chopped Greek Salad:
2 cups roma tomatoes, cubed
1 cup cucumber, peeled and cubed
1/2 cup feta cheese, crumbled
2 Tbsp. fresh mint leaves
basic vinagrette or greed salad dressing

In medium salad bowl, put chopped tomatoes and cucumbers and crumble feta cheese on top. Chiffonade the mint leaves and gently mix in with a basic vinagrette or Greek salad dressing.

Chocolate Chocolate Chip cookies

2 1/4 cups flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 sticks butter, softened
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
2 large eggs, beaten
1 tablespoon vanilla
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa
2 cups chocolate chips (or 2 Hershey's chocolate bars, chopped)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a bowl stir together flour, salt, and baking soda. In a mixer cream together butter and both sugars until light and fluffy. Add eggs, vanilla and cocoa; mix until incorporated. Gradually stir flour mixture into butter mixture and mix until combined. Stir chocolate chips and stir to distribute evenly.

For cookies: Drop dough by tablespoonfuls onto greased baking sheets and bake about 9minutes. Cool on a baking rack.

For bars: Pat dough into a greased 9 inch square baking pan and bake 20 to 25 minutes. Cut into squares when cooled.

NOTES:Recipe adapted from Food Network's Cathy Lowe. These cookies are sooo delicious. I'm a totaly chocoholic and these hit the spot.

Basil Chicken Burgers

We made this last week and loved it so much. I made my own pesto because I have basil plants and happened to have the Parmesan and pine nuts. I also used Parmesan instead of Cheddar in the burgers. I think the Parmesan goes better with the flavors of pesto anyway. I also served the burgers on whole wheat buns and it was great! I found this recipe in the June/July 2009 issue of Family Fun magazine.

1 1/2 lbs. ground chicken
3/4 cup grated sharp Cheddar or 1/2 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. ground pepper
1/3 cup mayonnaise
2 Tbsp. pesto (store-bought or try my recipe)
Oil for brushing the burgers
6 burger rolls
lettuce
sliced tomatoes

For the pesto mayonnaise:
1/2 cup mayonnaise
2 Tbsp. pesto

In large mixing bowl, combine the ground chicken, cheese, salt and pepper, gently tossing the mixture with your hands or a large fork, until evenly blended.
In a small bowl, mix the mayonnaise and pesto, then add it to the ground chicken mixture and combine until evenly blended. Shape the meat into six 1/2-inch thick patties. Refrigerate them for at least 30 minutes to firm them.(The patties will be softer than traditional hamburgers.)
While the meat is chilling, prepare the grill and make the pesto mayonnaise. Then brush one side of each of the burgers with a little oil and place them on the grill, oiled side down. Lightly brush oil on the other side of the burgers and cook them for 5 minutes on each side, turning once, or until the meat is no longer pink inside. Serve the burgers on the rolls, dressed with lettuce, tomatoes and pesto mayonnaise.

Chopped Barbecue Chicken Salad

*I thought it was high time this post got an update since I first posted it 4 years ago! Enjoy. 

 

I got this recipe from a friend of mine who made it up after eating it at a local restaurant. It's been served at large gatherings and loved by all. It's light and refreshing and really easy to put together; perfect for your next barbecue or pot luck. I love it because it's quick to throw together and doesn't heat up your house during those hot summer months.

Copped Barbecue Chicken Salad
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, butterflied
2-3 cups romaine lettuce, chopped
1 cup shredded mozzarella or Monterey Jack cheese
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
2-3 slicing tomatoes, diced
2 ears fresh corn, kernels cut off
3 green onions, chopped
1 small jicama-julienned in thin strips*
1/2 cup cilantro, chopped
favorite ranch dressing
favorite barbecue sauce
tortilla chips or strips

Coat chicken in barbecue sauce.  Preheat outdoor grill and cook until no longer pink inside; about 4-5 minutes per side.

While chicken is cooking, chop lettuce, tomatoes, green onions, jicama and cilantro. Place in large salad bowl.  Cut the kernels off two large ears of fresh corn.  Heat a large skillet over medium-high and drizzle a little olive oil.  Add corn and cook about 4-5 minutes, stirring frequently.  Set aside to cool.

Remove chicken from grill and set aside to cool for at least 5 minutes.  Chop into bite-sized pieces.  Once cooled, add chicken and corn to the rest of the salad.

Mix about 2 tablespoons each of barbecue sauce and ranch together.  Add 2 tablespoons to salad and toss.  Check for flavor and add more as desired.  Salt and pepper to taste.

Serve room temperature or chilled with tortilla chips or fried tortilla strips, it desired.


*Jicama is like a Mexican potato. It's shape is like a turnip only larger  and light tan in color. It's texture is like a chestnut and has a real mild almost radish-like flavor. The easiest way to prepare a jicama is to cut it into fourths then slice the peel off with a pairing knife. Cut into thin matchsticks.

**I have also used my Tomatillo Dressing, in place of the ranch, that I use with my Cafe Rio pork and it's really delicious also.

Paula Deen's Pumpkin Gooey Butter Cake and variations

Cake:
1 (18 1/4-ounce) package yellow cake mix
1 egg
8 tablespoons butter, melted
Filling:
1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened
1 (15-ounce) can pumpkin
3 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
8 tablespoons butter, melted
1 (16-ounce) box powdered sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon nutmeg
Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Combine the cake mix, egg, and butter and mix well with an electric mixer. Pat the mixture into the bottom of a lightly greased 13 by 9-inch baking pan.

To make the filling: In a large bowl, beat the cream cheese and pumpkin until smooth. Add the eggs, vanilla, and butter, and beat together. Next, add the powdered sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and mix well. Spread pumpkin mixture over cake batter and bake for 40 to 50 minutes. Make sure not to over bake as the center should be a little gooey.

Serve with fresh whipped cream.

Variations: For a Pineapple Gooey Cake: Instead of the pumpkin, add a drained 20-ounce can of crushed pineapple to the cream cheese filling. Proceed as directed above.

For a Banana Gooey Cake: Prepare cream cheese filling as directed, beating in 2 ripe bananas instead of the pumpkin. Proceed as directed above.

For a Peanut Butter Gooey Cake: Use a chocolate cake mix. Add 1 cup creamy peanut butter to the cream cheese filling instead of the pumpkin. Proceed as directed above.

Raspberry Limeade Cake

¾ cup butter, softened
2 cups sugar
1 TBLS. Lime zest
¾ cup frozen limeade concentrate, thawed
5 large eggs
3 ¾ cups all purpose flour
2 ¾ tsp. Baking powder
1 ½ cups whole buttermilk
Raspberry Filling (Recipe follows)
Cream Cheese Limeade Frosting (Recipe follows)

Preheat oven 350. Spray 3 9inch round cake pans with nonstick baking spray with flour.

In a large bowl, beat butter, sugar and lime zest until fluffy. Add limeade concentrate, beating until combined. WARNING!! Mixture will look curdled….that’s ok!! Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.

In a medium bowl, combine flour and baking powder. Gradually add to butter mixture, alternately with buttermilk. Begin and end with flour mixture, beating just until combined after each addition. Pour batter evenly (like you would pour it cattywompus…but I digress…)into prepared pans. Bake for 17 – 20 minutes or until done. Let cool in pans for 10 minutes. Remove cakes from pans and cool completely on wire racks.

Spread Raspberry Filling evenly between layers (there’s that cattywompus idea again). Spread Cream Cheese Limeade frosting over top and sides of cake. Can garnish with lime slices and raspberries if you want to.

Raspberry Filling

1 10oz. Package frozen raspberries in syrup, thawed
½ cup sugar
2 TBLS. Cornstarch
3 egg yolks
1 TBLS. Fresh lemon juice..wonder if lime juice from the lime zest you use in the cake would do…I would think so….
¼ cup butter, cut into pieces

In a food processor or a blender, pulse raspberries until smooth. Strain mixture, discarding solids.

In a medium saucepan, combine sugar and cornstarch. Add raspberry puree, egg yolks and lemon (lime) juice, whisking to combine. Cook over medium heat, whisking constantly for 7 – 8 minutes or until very thick. Remove from heat, gradually whisk in butter until melted. Cool slightly, cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.

Cream Cheese Limeade Frosting
1 8oz. Package cream cheese, softened
½ cup butter, softened
3 TBLS. Frozen limeade concentrate, thawed
1 TBLS lime zest
5 cups confectioner’s sugar

Beat cream cheese and butter until creamy. Add limeade concentrate and lime zest. Gradually add confectioner’s sugar, beating until smooth.

NOTES: This recipe is from Paula Deen. The frosting on this cake is AMAZING! Although very yummy, the cake seemed a little heavy for the light, fresh flavors of lime and raspberry so I may try a lighter cake recipe next time.

Orzo with Spinach and Pine nuts

I love, love, love this pasta dish!! It is so easy, and with a few simple ingredients your taste buds will be exploding. This is a perfect side dish for just about anything.


4 Tbsp pine nuts
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 Tbsp. olive oil
2 cans chicken broth
1 1/2 cups uncooked orzo
2 cups tightly packed chopped fresh spinach
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Spread pine nuts in a small skillet. Cook over medium heat 1-2 minutes or until lightly toasted, stirring often. Set aside.
Saute garlic in olive oil in a saucepan over medium heat 1 minute. Add water, orzo and salt, bring to a boil. Reduce heat and cook 12 minutes or until liquid is absorbed. Stir in spinach, cheese and pine nuts. Serve hot.

SOURCE:The Ultimate Southern Living Cookbook

Grilled Basil Chicken

3 Tbsp. lemon juice
2 Tbsp. chopped fresh basil or 2 tsp. dried basil
1 clove garlic
1/4 cup olive oil
4 skinned, bone-in chicken breast halves or 8 skinned chicken thighs

*Process first 3 ingredients in container of an electric blender 30 seconds. With blender running, gradually add oil in a slow, steady stream, processing until blended. Reserve 1/4 cup basil mixture.

*Brush chicken with remaining basil mixture; cover and marinate in refrigerator 30 minutes. Grill chicken, covered with grill id 30 minutes or until done, basting twice with reserved basil mixture.

NOTES:This is so easy and soooo tasty. The recipe is from my Ultimate Southern Living cookbook. Make sure if you're cooking with the bone in that you really let it cook for 30 minutes.

Dulce de leche

1 quart whole milk
12 ounces sugar, approximately 1 1/2 cups
1 vanilla bean, split and seeds scraped
1/2 teaspoon baking soda

Combine the milk, sugar, vanilla bean and seeds in a large, 4-quart saucepan and place over medium heat. Bring to a simmer, stirring occasionally, until the sugar has dissolved. Once the sugar has dissolved, add the baking soda and stir to combine. Reduce the heat to low and cook uncovered at a bare simmer. Stir occasionally, but do not re-incorporate the foam that appears on the top of the mixture. Continue to cook for 1 hour. Remove the vanilla bean after 1 hour and continue to cook until the mixture is a dark caramel color and has reduced to about 1 cup, approximately 1 1/2 to 2 hours. Strain the mixture through a fine mesh strainer. Store in the refrigerator in a sealed container for up to a month.

NOTES:Recipe courtesy Alton Brown from Food Network. You can also cheat and make this the easy way by putting an unopened can of sweetened condensed milk in the crock pot(covered in water) for 6-8 hours on low. Let it cool a little bit before you try opening it. This stuff is so good! I used to eat it so much on my mission.

Pastel Frio

1 can evaporated milk
1 can sweetened condensed milk
1/2 cup lemon juice
2 pkg. Marias cookies
1 small can pineapple rings

In small mixing bowl, combine evaporated milk, sweetened condensed milk and lemon juice. Pour just enough into small baking dish (8x8 or similar size)to cover the bottom. Place a layer of Marias cookies on top of the mixture then top with milk mixture. Continue layering milk and cookies until milk mixture is just about gone. Pour an extra layer of milk on top so you can no longer see the cookies. Put pineapple rings on top, cover, and refrigerate overnight.

NOTES:I got this recipe from a Mexican roommate I had in college. When I made it, I used pineapple but I think I will try it with strawberries next time. I think it would compliment the flavors a little better.

Horchata

1 cup uncooked long grain white rice
1 quart warm water
1/2 cup whole milk
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 cup sugar
Whole cinnamon sticks, optional, for serving

In a blender, combine the rice and warm water. Blend for 1 to 2 minutes until the rice breaks up but does not form a powder. Let the rice mixture stand in the refrigerator for 6 hours or up to overnight.

Strain the rice mixture into a container through a fine-mesh sieve or several layers of cheesecloth to remove the rice solids.

Pour the rice water into a blender and add the milk, vanilla and almond extracts, cinnamon, and sugar. Blend for 1 minute until well combined and smooth. Serve the horchata over ice with cinnamon sticks as stirrers.

NOTES:Recipe curtesy of Ingrid Hoffman from Food Network.

Tomatillo Dressing

This is the dressing that I use whenever I make my big Cafe Rio knock off meal. If you're not from Utah, you'll probably have no idea what I'm talking about, but believe me when I say, it's delicious! The sweet pork burrito and salad are Cafe Rio's most popular entrees. If you haven't checked out my recipes for the Sweet and Spicy Pork and Cilantro Lime Rice, head there too so you can partake of the goodness as well!

This dressing would also be good in almost any salad as well; chicken salad, green salad, you name it. I've even used it in this Chopped Barbecue Chicken Salad and it goes wonderfully.

Tomatillo Dressing
1 packet buttermilk ranch dressing packet
1 cup buttermilk
1 cup mayo
2 tomatillos (rinsed and husks removed)
1/2 bunch cilantro
1 clove garlic
juice of 1 lime
jalapeno, seeded (you can use half or whole, depending on how much heat you like)

Place in blender and puree until smooth. Refrigerate 1-2 hours before serving.

Sweet and Spicy Shredded Pork (Cafe Rio copy cat)

Mmm, this is so delicious! I've had other copy cat recipes of Cafe Rio pork and this totally takes the cake if you ask me. I think it's even better than the pork at the restaurant. The secret here is really the El Pato sauce. It adds the perfect amount of spice, while the brown sugar keeps it a little sweet. Make it as a salad or as a burrito, or use it as a base for another recipe. Do not forget the tomatillo dressing though, it rounds out the flavor and is the icing on the cake!

Sweet and Spicy Shredded Pork
3-4 lb. pork roast
1 large can El Pato Sauce (It's the yellow can that says original on the side and Salsa de Chile Fresco across the bottom. Also, if you want it less spicy, use one or two of the smaller cans.)
1 small can tomato sauce
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup cola (or rootbeer)

Place cold roast in a cold crockpot. If your roast is boneless, you can cut it into chunks so that it will cook faster. Mix the rest of the ingredients in a bowl and pour about half over the pork, reserving the rest. Cover pork and cook on high for about 4-5 hours; may be a little less if you use the chunks. Roast is done when it easily breaks apart between your fingers. Remove pork and shred. Discard sauce and wipe out crock pot. Put shredded pork back into crock pot and pour remaining sauce over it. Cook on low for another hour or so.

To serve Cafe Rio burrito style: Melt monterey jack cheese on tortilla, top with either Cilantro-lime rice or Spanish Rice, beans, pork and Tomatillo Dressing. Top with guacamole, lettuce, and pico de gallo, if desired.

To serve salad style: Layer rice, beans, pork and other desired toppings on a bed of lettuce and sprinkle with shredded cheese.


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Lemon Garlic Chicken

2 tsp. dried oregano
1 tsp. seasoned salt
1/2 tsp. freshly ground pepper
8 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
4 Tbsp. butter
1/2 cup water
6 Tbsp. lemon juice
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 tsp. chicken bouillon granules
2 tsp. minced fresh parsley

This recipe is for a 6-quart slow cooker. Combine oregano, salt and pepper. Cover chicken with mixture. Brown chicken in butter in skillet on medium heat. Place in slow cooker. Place water, lemon juice, garlic and bouillon in skillet. Bring to boil, loosen browned bits from skillet. Pour over chicken. Cover. Cook on high for 2-2 1/2 hours or on low for 4-5 hours. Add parsley and baste chicken. Cover. Cook on high for 15-30 minutes, until chicken is tender.

NOTES:This is a great Sunday dinner dish. I actually found this recipe with not much time left to make dinner so I just made it on the stove top instead of the slow cooker. I put the salt, pepper and oregano on the chicken and browned it, then added everything else and brought it to a boil. I turned it down to very low and covered it and let it simmer for about a half hour while I baked some oven fries to go with it. Enjoy!

Ginger Sweet Potato Muffins

*Updated 12/5/13 I've made a few modifications to these muffins to make them lighter and fluffier and with half the sugar! They are better than ever!
 
When I think of fall, I think of these muffins. I absolutely love them! I got this recipe a few years ago from a friend of my mom's and have made them so many times since. They are a perfect little breakfast treat on a fall morning, or a quick and easy afternoon snack. I have experimented with using less sugar and they still turn out ok. You can get crystallized ginger at your local good earth store or fresh market.


Ginger Sweet Potato Muffins
makes about 9 muffins

1/2 cup sucanat (or other sugar)
1 cup mashed sweet potatoes
2 Tbsp. coconut oil (or light olive oil)
1 egg
1/2 cup milk (I used almond milk)
1 cups whole wheat flour
1/2 Tbsp. Pumpkin Pie spice
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 cup crystallized ginger, finely chopped

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.  Place liners in muffin pan or spray with cooking spray. Combine sugar, sweet potatoes, oil, egg and milk.  Whisk until smooth. Add dry ingredients and mix until incorporated. Fold in ginger. Divide batter evenly among 9 muffin cups. Bake 12-15 minutes or until toothpick inserted into centers comes out clean. Cool slightly and remove from pans.

Linked to...
Colleen's Recipe Swap @ And Baby Makes Five
Potluck Sunday @ Mommy's Kitchen.
This Week's Cravings @ Mom's Crazy Cooking

Poblano Chicken Chowder

1/4 cup olive oil
3 large carrots, diced
2 large onions, diced
5 stalks celery, diced
1/8 cup minced garlic
2 to 3 small poblano peppers, seeded and diced
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon white pepper
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin, or more to taste
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme, or more to taste
1 tablespoon chicken bouillon granules
3 quarts chicken broth
1/2 bunch fresh cilantro leaves, minced
3 cups diced (large pieces) grilled chicken
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon hot sauce, or more to taste
1 cup heavy cream

Heat the oil in a large stockpot over medium heat. Add the carrots, onions, celery, garlic, poblano peppers, salt, white pepper, cumin, and thyme. Saute for 7 to 8 minutes, or until the vegetables begin to soften. Stir in the chicken bouillon. Add the chicken broth and cilantro, and cook for 10 to 12 minutes, or until the carrots are tender. Stir in the chicken and cook, stirring frequently, until the chowder is thick and the chicken is heated through. Shortly before the chowder is done, melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the flour and stir to combine. Cook, stirring frequently, for 3 to 4 minutes to cook the flour. Do not allow the mixture to brown! Ladle 1 cup of the hot liquid from the stockpot into the skillet, whisking constantly.

When the first cup of liquid is incorporated, add another 2 cups of liquid, 1 at a time. Pour the mixture in the skillet into the stockpot, whisking to blend. Cook, stirring frequently, for 3 to 5 minutes longer, or until the mixture begins to thicken. Remove the pot from the heat. Stir in the hot sauce, then the cream, and serve.

NOTES: Recipe from Paula Deen

Szechuan Beef

1 lb. flank steak, sliced very thinly
1 Tbsp. soy sauce
1 tsp cooking wine
2 tsp cornstarch
4 Tbsp. vegetable oil
1 tsp. sliced fresh garlic
1 tsp. sliced jalapeno pepper
6 1-inch sections green onion

Sauce:
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp sugar
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp sesame oil

Mix the sliced beef with soy sauce, cooking wine and cornstarch and set aside. Heat the wok and 4 Tbsp of vegetable oil. Stir-fry the garlic and jalapeno pepper until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the beef and the sauce ingredients and stir-fry over high heat just until the beef is no longer pink on the outside, about 2-3 minutes. Add the green onions during the last 1 minute of cooking.

NOTES: I got this recipe off the food network website a few years ago so I don't know if it's still there but we really love this stir-fry.

Sliced Steak with Roasted Poblano Gravy, Mashed Sweet Potatoes with Chipotle and Green Onion Green Beans

This dish packs some heat! But I like it and it's different. I love the smokey heat from the chipotles in the sweet potatoes and the firey heat from the poblanos in the gravy. The gravy is probably my favorite part of this meal. It is so tasty and goes wonderfully with the steak. This is a Rachel Ray recipe so it comes together relatively quickly, as long as you can run all your burners at the same time! I love to cook the steaks on an outdoor grill because of the flavor, but whatever you have available will work.

3 large or 4 to 5 small poblano peppers
2 pounds sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks
6 tablespoons butter, divided
1/2 cup chicken stock (eyeball it)
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 chipotle pepper from a can of chipotles packed in adobo, seeded and finely chopped, plus 1 teaspoon adobo sauce
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 New York Strip steaks (about 1 1/2” thick and 6 to 8 ounces each)
1 pound green beans, ends trimmed and cut in thirds
4 scallions, white and green parts thinly sliced
2 tablespoons flour
2 cups beef stock (eyeball it), divided
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce (eyeball it)
1 teaspoon (about 1/3 of a palmful) ground cumin

Preheat a broiler or turn a gas burner on high heat and roast the poblano peppers until they're soft and the skin of each pepper has charred. Place the roasted peppers in a bowl, cover tightly with plastic wrap and let cool.

While the peppers are cooling, place the sweet potatoes in a pot of cold water and bring it to a boil. Once boiling, add some salt and cook until tender, about 10 minutes, drain and return the potatoes to the pot they were boiled in. Add 2 tablespoons butter, chicken stock, brown sugar, chipotle pepper and adobo to the potatoes and mash until well-combined. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper, and reserve.

While the potatoes are boiling, season the steaks with salt and freshly ground black pepper and cook under the broiler to medium, about 5-6 minutes per side. Once cooked, transfer the steaks to a platter and cover with aluminum foil, allowing them to rest for about 5 minutes.

While the steak and potatoes are cooking, fill a straight-sided sauté pan or saucepot with about 1 inch of water and bring it to a boil along with a large pinch of salt. Add the green beans to the boiling salted water and cook until tender and bright green, about 3 minutes. Drain the cooked green beans and return them to their cooking pot. Add 2 tablespoons butter and the scallions to the green beans, toss them to coat, season with salt and freshly ground black pepper and reserve.

Once the poblanos are cool enough to handle, unwrap them and peel the skin off from each pepper (it should come off very easily), then remove and discard the stem and seeds. Puree the roasted peppers in a food processor or blender with 1/4 cup of beef stock and reserve.

In a medium-size saucepan over medium heat, melt the remaining 2 tablespoons butter and add the flour. Cook flour and butter for about 1 minute then whisk in the remaining beef stock, Worcestershire sauce, cumin and pureed peppers. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper.

To serve, slice the steak into slices 1/4 inch thick and arrange them on a plate with a helping of the mashed sweet potatoes and green onion green beans. Top everything off with some of the poblano gravy and enjoy.

Orange Chicken

For the marinade and sauce:

1 ½ lbs. boneless skinless chicken thighs or breasts, cut into 1 ½” pieces
¾ cup low sodium chicken broth
¾ cup fresh squeezed orange juice
1 ½ tsp. grated orange zest
8 thin strips orange peel (optional)
6 tbsp. distilled white vinegar
¼ cup soy sauce
½ cup dark brown sugar
3 medium garlic cloves, minced
1 tbsp. fresh grated ginger
¼ tsp. cayenne pepper
1 tbsp. plus 2 tsp. cornstarch
2 tbsp. cold water

For the marinade and sauce, place the chicken in a Ziploc bag; set aside. In a large saucepan, combine the chicken broth, orange juice, zest, vinegar, soy sauce, brown sugar, garlic, ginger and cayenne pepper; whisk until the sugar is fully dissolved. Measure out ¾ cup of the mixture and pour it into the bag with the chicken; press out as much air as possible and seal the bag, making sure that all pieces are coated with the marinade. Refrigerate 30-60 minutes, but no longer. Bring the remaining mixture in the saucepan to a boil over high heat. In a small bowl, stir together the cornstarch and cold water; whisk the cornstarch mixture into the sauce. Simmer, stirring occasionally, until thick and translucent, about 1 minute. Off the heat, stir in the orange peel (if using); set the sauce aside.

After the chicken is done marinating, saute in large sauce pan in some evoo, then add the sauce and toss. Serve warm with rice.

NOTES: This another recipe from Annie's Eats that I altered a little; we love it!

Strawberry Cupcakes

For the cupcakes:

2 ½ cups flour
1 tsp. baking soda
¼ tsp. salt
½ cup unsalted butter
1 ½ cups sugar
2 eggs
1/3 cup buttermilk
¼ cup vanilla yogurt
1 tsp. vanilla extract
2 cups chopped strawberries

For the frosting:

½ c. strawberries
8 oz. cream cheese, at room temperature
1 ½ sticks unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 ¾ cups powdered sugar, sifted
½ tsp. lemon juice
1 tbsp. vanilla

Preheat the oven to 350°. Line cupcake pans with paper liners.

Sift flour, salt and baking soda into a medium bowl. Set aside. In the bowl of an electric mixer, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time until combined. Add buttermilk, yogurt and vanilla and beat until combined. Add flour mixture and stir until just combined. Fold in chopped strawberries. Fill cupcake wells 2/3 full with batter. Bake for 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool completely on a wire rack.

For the frosting, puree strawberries in food processor. Strain through a mesh sieve to remove seeds, and set aside. Beat the cream cheese and butter in the bowl of an electric mixer until smooth and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Add powdered sugar and mix until smooth. Add lemon juice, vanilla and strawberry puree. Adjust the amount of puree to achieve your desired consistency. Frost cupcakes when completely cool.

NOTES: I adapted this recipe from Annie's Eats who adapted it from Good Things Catered. I've made them twice and we love them, especially the frosting. The cupcakes are pretty moist so when storing them, you may want to vent them a little.