Sweet Potato Casserole

3 cups sweet potatoes mashed (6-8 large)
1/2 cup sugar
1 egg
2 Tbl Butter
3/4 tsp vanilla

Scrub dirt from potatoes and boil them whole (with skin on) in a large pot for approx 1 hour, until fork-tender.  Drain water from pot and peel skins from potatoes (they should come off easily).  Put sweet potatoes, sugar, egg, butter and vanilla in a Bosch and mix.  Spread potatoes into 9x13 pan.

Topping:
1/2 cup butter
1/3 cup self-rising flour
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup chopped nuts (pecans)
1 cup coconut

Melt butter into flour.  Mix together brown sugar, nuts and coconut and add to butter/flour mixture.  Spread topping over potatoes and bake at 350 degrees until done (about 45 min)

The Brussel Beast (self named)

For the salad: 

-1 lb (or more) brussel sprouts (cut off stem, slice in half, keep loose leaves. toss LIGHTLY in olive oil/salt/pepper and roast at 450* for about 20 min or until loose leaves are brown but not burned)

-Almonds chopped roughly and toasted (we toasted on the same cookie sheet as the Brussel sprouts for about 3 min

-1 head romaine chopped

-feta cheese to taste

-1/2 pack of bacon (we roasted it in the oven. 25 min at 450 on cooling racks over a cookie sheet)

For the dressing:

1/2 C olive oil

1/4 C dijon mustard

2 tsp horseradish (prepared)

2 tbls white wine vinegar

salt and pepper to taste

This is a hearty yummy salad. We added grilled chicken with a little spice to it. The salad is warm after adding all of the roasted stuff and it felt like a super filling winter dish. YUM.

Easy Enchiladas

Total Time: 1 hr 15 min

Prep: 30 min

Cook: 45 min

Yield: 8 servings or 14 Enchiladas

Ingredients

Sauce:  

2 tablespoons canola oil

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

One 28 oz can enchilada or Mexican red sauce

2 cups chicken broth

1/2 teaspoon salt 

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

Meat:

1 lb ground beef

1 medium onion, finely chopped

1/2 teaspoon salt

The rest:

Canola oil, for frying

10 to 14 corn tortillas 

Two 4 oz cans diced green chilies

1 cup chopped green onions

1/2 cup chopped black olives

3 cups grated sharp cheddar cheese

Cilantro, for garnish

Directions for the sauce:

In a saucepan over medium-low heat, combine the canola oil and flour. Whisk together and allow to bubble for 1 min. Poor in the red sauce, chicken broth, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer while you prepare the other ingredients. 

For the meat: 

While the sauce is simmering, brown the ground beef with onions in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Drain the fat, add the salt and stir to combine. Turn off the heat and set aside. 

For the rest:

In a small skillet over medium heat, heat some canola oil. Lightly fry the tortillas just until soft. Do not crisp. Drain on a paper towel-lined plate. Repeat until al the tortillas have been friend. 

Pre heat the over to 350 degrees F. 

Spread the 1/2 cup of the sauce in the bottom of a 9x13 in baking dish. Next, one at a time, dip each tortilla into the sauce. Set the sauce-soaked tortilla on a plate. Place on some of the meat mixture, chilies, green onions and black olives. Top with a generous portion of grated cheddar. Roll up the tortilla to contain the filling inside. 

Place the tortilla seam side down in the baking dish. Repeat with the rest of the tortillas and pour the remaining sauce over the top. End with a generous sprinkling of cheese and any other bits of chilies, green onions or olives you have left over from the filling. 

Bake the enchiladas for 20 min, or until bubbly. Sprinkle chopped cilantro over the top and serve. 

Easy Enchiladas

Mix the following in a bowl:

2-3 chicken breasts diced and cooked
8 oz sour cream
8 oz cream cheese
1 tsp garlic salt
1/2 tsp pepper
4 oz can diced green chiles

Spoon mixture onto tortillas, wrap and place in a casserole dish.

Mix together and then pour on top of tortillas:

2-10 oz cans enchilada sauce (I prefer the mild green kind)
1 small can cream of chicken

Cover with shredded Monterey Jack and Cheddar cheese.

Bake at 350 degrees for 40 min.  Broil for 3-5 minutes to get the cheese a little carmelized.

Serve with spanish style rice

Nancy's Cheese Ball

I love a good cheese ball...and this one is one of my all time favorites!

2, 8oz packages cream cheese

3 stalks green onions

1Tbs Bon Apetit (or if you can't find Bon Apetit like me you can use equal parts celery salt and onion powder, so 1/2 Tbs of each)

1 Tbs Miracle Whip

1 tsp vinegar

1 tsp Worchestershire sauce

1/2 tsp mustard (you can use whatever kind you like best.  My favorite is spicy brown)

Mix together well with an electric mixer.  Make into one large ball or two smaller ones.  I line a small glass bowl with saran wrap and pack the cheese mix into it.  After it chills it's easy to lift the saran wrap out and turn the "ball" over onto a serving tray.  Can also roll balls in choppped pecans.  Refrigerate overnight for the flavors to blend (or if pressed for time, just put it in the freezer for an hour or two so it sets).  Serve with any kind of crackers (especially good with wheat thins and ritz).

To make into an eyeball for Halloween, mix 1/4 cup ketchup with 2 tsp chili powder.  Put mixture into a small ziplock bag and clip a tiny piece of one corner off.  Squeeze mix in a vein design. Cut a spinach leaf into a circle for the middle of the eyeball and use half of a large olive as the pupil. 

 

Pumpkin Donut Muffins

These are seriously TO DIE for!!! they're fluffy and delicious- and best warm, but still good the next day!! They make about 12 big muffins, we doubled it and made 18 big muffins and 24 tiny muffins. We liked the tiny muffins the best.

INGREDIENTS

For the batter

• 10 tablespoons (1 1/4 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature, plus more for pan
• 3 cups all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled), plus more for pan
• 2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon coarse salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
• 1/3 cup buttermilk
• 1 1/4 cups pure pumpkin puree (from a 15-ounce can)
• 3/4 cup light brown sugar
• 2 large eggs

For the sugar coating

• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 2 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, melted

• DIRECTIONS

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter and flour 12 standard muffin cups. Make batter: In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, nutmeg, and allspice. In a small bowl, whisk together buttermilk and pumpkin puree. In a large bowl, using an electric mixer, beat butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy.(until it changes color to a white-ish color) Beat in eggs, one at a time, scraping down bowl as needed. With mixer on low, add flour mixture in three additions, alternating with two additions pumpkin mixture, and beat to combine.
      WATCH: Sugared Pumpkin Muffins
  2. Spoon 1/3 cup batter into each muffin cup and bake until a toothpick inserted in center of a muffin comes out clean, 30 minutes. Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, combine granulated sugar and cinnamon. Let muffins cool 10 minutes in pan on a wire rack. Working with one at a time, remove muffins from pan, brush all over with butter, then toss to coat in sugar mixture. Let muffins cool completely on a wire rack.
     
     
     http://www.marthastewart.com/331754/pumpkin-doughnut-muffins

Fish Tacos, Slaw and Coconut Rice

For the Slaw:
whisk together, toss with:

2 T fresh lemon juice
1 t. olive oil
1 t. sugar
1/2 C green cabbage, shredded
1/2 C carrot, shredded
1/4 C red onion, sliced
1/4 C granny smith apple cut into matchsticks
1/2 jalapeño, seeded, thinly sliced
salt to taste

For the Tartar Sauce:

1/2 C mayo
2 T sweet pickle relish
1 T capers
1 T fresh lemon juice
2 t. prepared horseradish
1 t. lemon zest, minced

For the Fish:

6 oz tilapia or cod cut into 8 long pieces

1/2 C all purpose flour
1 t. table salt
1/2 t. baking powder
1/2 C club soda
1 T. tabasco
1 C panko bread crumbs

whisk flour, salt and baking powder together for the fish. Add club soda and tabasco (whisk, it will be a little lumpy). Spread panko in shallow dish.

Heat oil to 375 in skillet (you can also use this oil for the tortillas if you want them fried)

Dip fish in batter then dredge in panko. Fry 1-2 min.

Coconut Mango Rice

1/2 C long grain white rice
1/2 C water
1/2 C coconut milk
1 T sugar
pinch of salt

After cooking for 15-20 min stir in:
Mango, peeled and pitted, diced
2 T fresh cilantro
juice of 1/2 lime