Chile Verde

Ingredients:

• 3-4 lbs of pork trimmed of fat and cut into bite size chunks
• salt and pepper
• flour
• 3 T. oil
• 3 yellow onions diced
• 2 green bell peppers
• 2-3 jalapenos diced
• 3 garlic cloves minced
• 1 1/2 lbs. tomatillos (roasted, then blended)
• 4 c. chicken stock
• 1 T. oregano
• 2 t. cumin
• 2 t. coriander
• 2 Anaheim or Poblano chiles (roasted, peeled, diced)
• 1 bunch cilantro (washed and chopped)
• 2 bay leaves

Directions:

• Wash, cut in half, stem and seed chiles.  Wash and cut in half tomatillos.  Place cut side down on greased baking sheet and broil till puffy and brown.  Wrap chiles in aluminum foil to steam for several minutes then peel and dice.  When cool, puree tomatillos in blender and set aside. 
• Season pork with salt and pepper and dredge in flour.  Heat oil 2 T. oil in large saucepan or dutch oven till the oil just begins to smoke.  Brown pork in batches on all sides till golden brown. Take pork out and set aside.  
• Add 1 T. of oil to pan and add onions, peppers, and jalapenos.  Cook till tender, scraping up browned bits from pork while stirring.
• Add garlic and saute for 30 seconds.
• Add tomatillo puree and chicken stock.
• Add spices, roasted chiles, and cilantro.
• Simmer for 3-4 hours.

This dish is a labor of love for it takes awhile to prepare.  I think I spend about 1 1/2 hours getting it prepared for simmering.  But we like it, so on occasion I make it.  We like to eat it with warmed corn tortillas and shredded jack cheese.

Nutella Bran Muffins

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cups 100% bran cereal
• 1 1/2 cups milk
• 1/2 cup Nutella
• 1 t. vanilla
• 1 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup light brown sugar, firmly packed
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• pinch of salt
• 1/4 cup butter, melted
• 1 large egg, beaten

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Spray muffin pan or insert liners. (if using a dark pan, preheat to 375)
2. Combine the bran cereal and milk in a medium size bowl and let it stand for 10 minutes. After soaking, stir in the Nutella and vanilla.
3. In a separate large bowl, combine the flour, brown sugar, baking powder and salt. Add the bran mixture, butter, and egg and stir until just blended.
4. Bake the muffins for 20 to 25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of a muffin comes clean. 
5. Remove from the oven and let cool completely on a cooling rack.
6. Makes 12 muffins.

Feather-Light Raised Waffles

If you have never tried overnight yeast waffles you are missing out.  They are fan-flipping-tastic!  Try them.  Try them now.  Especially with some frozen strawberry jam and whipped cream.  Oh yum!


Ingredients:

• 1 T. active dry yeast
• 1/2 c. warm water
• 2 c. milk
• 1 t. sugar
• 2 c. flour
• 1 t. salt
• 1/2 c. oil
• 1/4 t. baking soda
• 2 eggs

Directions:

1. In a large (batter will rise a lot) mixing bowl, sprinkle yeast over warm water and let stand for 5 minutes.
2. Add the milk, sugar, flour and beat until smooth.
3. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let the mixture stand overnight or for a few hours.
4. The next morning or whenever you want to cook the waffles, add the beaten eggs, the oil, the salt, and the baking soda (mixed with a bit of water).  Mix till smooth.

5 Minute Artisan Bread

 Ingredients:

• 3 cups lukewarm water
• 1 1/2 tablespoons granulated yeast or 2 (7 1/4 g) packets granulated yeast
• 1 1/2 tablespoons kosher salt or 1 1/2 tablespoons other coarse salt
• 6 1/2 cups unsifted unbleached all-purpose flour

Directions: 

1. Loosely cover and let rise on counter for 2 hours.
2. Place in the fridge overnight.
3. Pull off a small cantaloupe size piece of dough and shape into ball.  The dough will be very wet and sticky so sprinkle liberally with flour to handle. 
4. Let rest for 40 minutes.
5. Bake at 450 degrees for 25-30 minutes.  

 Go to this website for more detailed directions:  Artisan Bread in 5 minutes a day basics.

I now use this dough for pizza crust, it makes the best homemade crust I have tried so far.  I either spread out with my hands using flour as needed or use a small rolling pin and spread it out on parchment paper.  Top with desired toppings and use an upside down baking sheet to transfer pizza to preheated pan in oven.  Bake at 500 degrees for about 10-15 minutes.

Stroganoff

STROGANOFF

Gramma Mary

 

1.      Cut fat and junk from round steak and slice in very thin strips.

2.      Brown in fry pan with 2-3 sliced onions, salt and pepper and mushrooms if desired.

3.      Add one container sour cream and one can mushroom soup.

4.      Eat over egg noodles or rice.

Creamy Italian Chicken

CREAMY ITALIAN CHICKEN

Esther

 

4 boneless chicken breasts

½ cup water

1 pkg Italian dressing mix

1 can cream of chicken soup (don’t add milk)

1 (8 oz.) pkg cream cheese

 

Cook chicken, water, and dressing mix in a crock pot for 4 hours on LOW. Mix soup and cream cheese. Add to chicken in crock pot. Cook for 1 to 2 more hours on LOW. Eat over pasta or rice.

Chicken Noodle Soup

CHICKEN NOODLE SOUP

Ralphie

 

The real deal, from scratch. It is A-MAZING.

 

1 rotisserie chicken

4 eggs

2 tsp. salt

2-3 C. flour (maybe more)

1 can cream of chicken soup

2-3 Tbsp. whipping cream (optional, but recommended)

Some chopped celery, carrots, and onions---as much or as little as you like

Salt and pepper to taste

 

1.      Remove as much of the chicken from the rotisserie chicken as possible, shredded into bite-sized pieces. Set aside, or refrigerate. Keep chicken remains.

2.      Put whatever remains of the rotisserie chicken (bones, skin, everything) in a pot of boiling water, high enough to cover the chicken. Boil for around 30 minutes. Strain chicken to remove bones, and reserve the leftover broth. Leave broth on stove at a low boil.

3.      In a medium bowl, mix the eggs with a fork. Add the 2 tsp. salt and stir. Add 2 C. flour. Knead until it isn’t sticky anymore, using more flour as necessary (~5-7 minutes). Dust counter with plenty of flour, and using lots of flour, roll dough out very thin (1/8-1/4 inch or so), then slice thin noodle strings with a pizza cutter (or use a pasta crank if you have one). The noodles will expand quite a bit in the soup.

4.      One at a time, add the noodles to the simmering broth (if added in clumps, they will stick together.

5.      Add can of cream of chicken soup.

6.      Add some water until it looks like the right amount, anywhere from 4-8 cups of water probably. Then add chicken bouillon and/or salt until it’s the flavor you want. If using whipped cream, add it here, just enough to make your soup look a touch creamy. Let it simmer until the noodles are done, maybe about 20 minutes. It won’t matter much if it is on the stove longer.

7.      About 10 minutes before service, add chopped celery and onion. About 5 minutes before service, add chopped carrots and the chicken from step 1.

8.      Add salt and pepper to your liking.

Stuffed French Toast

STUFFED FRENCH TOAST

Georgia

 

Loaf of French bread

6-8 oz. cream cheese

¼- ½ cup powdered sugar

Almond extract

2 eggs

About ¼ cup milk

About a tsp. nutmeg

Frozen fruit (raspberries are my favorite)

Sugar

 

Filling:

Warm up cream cheese. Add powdered sugar, ¼ cup at first, add more if needed. Add a couple drops of almond extract. Mix well.

 

Mix in a bowl:

2 eggs, milk, nutmeg (about a tsp.)

 

Raspberry Sauce:

In a saucepan heat raspberries, and a little water to a warm temperature. Add enough sugar so it is not sour.

 

Put filling between French bread (the more the better). Dip in egg mixture, and fry on greased pan. Top with raspberry sauce.

Butter Chicken

 

Ingredients:

• 1 ounce butter
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 garlic clove, crushed
• 2 large boneless chicken breasts
• 1 teaspoon ginger
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• 1 teaspoon turmeric
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon garam masala
• 3/4 cup fresh cream
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste

 

Directions:

1. Slice chicken breasts into bite sized pieces.
2. Combine spices and salt and toss chicken pieces until well coated.
3. Saute onion and garlic in butter.
4. Saute the chicken each side until golden brown.
5. Stir in the cream and tomato paste.
6. Cover pan and simmer for about 10 minutes until cooked through.
   
   

Granola Bars

GRANOLA BARS

Ralphie

 
 

 

3 cups quick cooking oats (I did 2 cups oats and 1 ½ cup rice crispies)

1 cup coconut

1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

½ cup sweetened dried cranberries (I didn’t do any dried fruit this time and I like it better – gets in the way of the chocolate, but that’s just me)

½ cup flax seed

1 cup sliced almonds (no nuts either, because B doesn’t like them

1 14 oz. can sweetened condensed milk

2 TBSP. Melted butter

1 tsp cinnamon (cinnamon has a lot of health advantages)

½ tsp nutmeg (I thought that this made it sooo yummy!)

 

In a large bowl, mix the oats, coconut, almonds, chocolate chips and cranberries. Add the sweetened condensed milk and butter and mix well with your hands until well blended. Press the mixture flat into a greased 9x13 pan. Make sure that you tap it down really well so that it doesn’t crumble. Bake @ 350º for 20-25 minutes, depending on how crunchy you want them. Lightly browned around the edges will give you moist, chewy bars. Let cool for 5 minutes then cut into bars (I can get 22 bars from a pan). Let them cool completely before serving, otherwise they will fall apart.

***Georgia’s Note: I like MORE dried cranberries than chocolate, so I usually decrease the amount of chocolate and increase the fruit. I also have never put the butter in, I forgot the first time, and they tasted just fine. I also have never added nutmeg.

Upside Down Spaghetti

UPSIDE DOWN SPAGHETTI

Georgia

1 lb. ground beef
1 (8 oz.) cream cheese

1 lg. prego spaghetti sauce

1 (8 oz.) sour cream
Grated mozzarella cheese

Cook meat and add sauce. Place half of the cooked spaghetti in 9x13 in. pan. Add half of sauce mixture. Mix cream cheese and sour cream; place on top, then layer rest of spaghetti, followed by rest of sauce. Add grated mozzarella on top. Bake at 325º for 30 minutes covered. Bake additional 15 minutes uncovered.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Banana Milkshake

CHOCOLATE PEANUT BUTTER BANANA MILKSHAKE

Ralphie

 

Prep time: 5 mins

Serves:1-2

 

Made of frozen bananas, natural peanut butter, cocoa and a splash of pure maple syrup, this rich, creamy treat is sure to satisfy your sweet tooth, without the sluggish after-effects of a traditional milkshake.

 

Ingredients

·         2 frozen bananas

·         ½ cup almond milk (homemade or store-bought)

·         1 Tablespoon pure maple syrup (optional)

·         2 Tablespoons cocoa powder

·         ¼ cup natural peanut butter

·         Pinch of sea salt

·         1 teaspoon vanilla extract

·         7 ice cubes (about 2 handfuls)

 

Instructions

1.      Throw all of the ingredients into a high-powered blender, and blend until smooth and creamy. (I like to freeze my bananas whole, for easy measuring, then I break them in half when adding them to the blender.

2.      Pour into two glasses and serve immediately!

 

Notes

 

For best results, use a high-speed blender like the Vitamix, which breaks down ice effortlessly. A tradition blender should also work—though, you may need to add a bit more almond milk to facilitate blending.

Hummus

HUMMUS

Ralphie

Yield: About 3 cups

Servings: 12 to 14

Ingredients:

4 garlic cloves, minced
2 cups canned chickpeas, drained, liquid reserved
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/3 cup tahini (sesame paste)
6 Tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice (about 2 lemons)
2 Tablespoons water or reserved liquid from the chickpeas
8 dashes hot sauce (more or less, as desired)
good olive oil

Directions:

Place all of the ingredients into a food processor and process until the hummus is coarsely pureed. Taste, for seasoning, and serve chilled or at room temperature. Drizzle a little bit of olive oil on top before serving. Serve with veggies or crackers.

Tips:
*Use the reserved chickpeas liquid to thin out the hummus until you reach desired consistency.
*Reader Tip: Sprinkle cumin on top of the olive oil.

Bean Tostadas with Avocado Salad

BEAN TOSTADAS WITH AVOCADO SALAD

Ralphie

 

Ingredients

·         Tostadas

·         3 to 4 corn tortillas

·         ½ tablespoon olive oil

·         1 cup cooked black beans

·         ¼ cup bean liquid or water

·         1/2 cup salsa

 

·         Salad

·         2 cups lightly packed shredded lettuce

·         1 avocado, cubed

·         1 ounce cojita cheese, crumbled

·         1 tablespoon lime juice

·         1 tablespoon olive oil

·         2 teaspoons honey

·         ¼ teaspoon salt

·         ¼ teaspoon black pepper

·         Cilantro, lime wedges, to garnish

 

Instructions

1.      Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Brush tortillas with olive oil. Place on a baking tray; bake until crisp, 8 to 10 minutes.

2.      In a skillet, heat the black beans, liquid and salsa until boiling. Reduce heat to low; simmer, stirring occasionally, until the majority of juice has been absorbed, 5 to 6 minutes.

3.      For the salad, combine lettuce, cubed avocado and crumbled cheese in a bowl. Whisk together lime juice, olive oil, honey, salt and pepper. Pour over salad, then toss until coated.

4.      Top the tortillas with a layer of black beans, then salad. Serve with extra cheese or lime wedges as desired.

Baked Parmesan Zucchini

BAKED PARMESAN ZUCCHINI

Ralphie

 

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 20 Minutes

Yield 4 Servings

 

Crisp, tender zucchini sticks oven-roasted to absolute perfection. It's healthy, nutritious and completely addictive!

 

INGREDIENTS

·         4 zucchini, quartered lengthwise

·         ½ cup grated Parmesan

·         ½ teaspoon dried thyme

·         ½ teaspoon dried oregano

·         ½ teaspoon dried basil

·         ¼ teaspoon garlic powder

·         Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

·         2 tablespoon olive oil

·         2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves

 

INSTRUCTIONS

·         Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Coat a cooling rack with nonstick spray and place on a baking sheet; set aside.

·         In a small bowl, combine Parmesan, thyme, oregano, basil, garlic powder, salt and pepper, to taste.

·         Place zucchini onto prepared baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with Parmesan mixture. Place into oven and bake until tender, about 15 minutes. Then broil for 2-3 minutes, or until they’re crisp and golden brown.

·         Serve immediately, garnished with parsley, if desired.

Spinach Artichoke Dip

SPINACH ARTICHOKE DIP

Georgia

 

2 cups parmesan cheese

1 (10 ounce) boxes frozen chopped spinach, thawed

1 (14 ounce) cans artichoke hearts, drained and chopped

2/3 c. sour cream

1/3 c. mayonnaise

2 tsp. garlic, minced

 

1.     Preheat oven to 375.

2.     Mix together Parmesan cheese, spinach, and artichoke hearts.

3.     Combine remaining ingredients and mix with spinach mixture.

4.     Bake for 20-30 minutes.

5.     Serve with crackers or toasted bread. (Or Wes and I like chips.)

Canned Homemade Spaghetti Sauce

CANNED HOMEMADE SPAGHETTI SAUCE

Georgia

 

50-60 Roma tomatoes (13 lb. 2 oz. of tomatoes)

4 green peppers

1 whole garlic

3 lbs. yellow onions

4 sticks celery

1 pint vegetable oil

8 small cans tomato paste

½ cup salt

1 ½ c. sugar

2 Tbsp. fresh basil

2 Tbsp. oregano.

 

Slip skins on tomatoes, and cook down for 2 hours.

 

Sauté green peppers, garlic, onions, and celery. (I definitely did NOT use that much oil, and you’ll have to sauté in batches)

 

Puree vegetables in blender, and add to tomatoes. (After I added the vegetables to the tomatoes, I would scoop out some and put it in the blender, and keep doing this until the sauce was to the “chunkiness” I wanted)

 

Then add tomato paste, salt, sugar, basil, and oregano. (I don’t like how much sugar it calls for, next time I’ll be cutting the sugar in half probably)

 

Cook all together for 2 hours, until desired consistency.

 

Steam can for 20 minutes. ( I only have a water bath, so I water-bathed the pints for 50 minutes, and the quarts for 55 minutes.)

 

Good luck! It’s super yummy~!