Saturday, October 28, 2017

Grandma's Sloppy Joe

Grandma Costley's Sloppy Joe

NOTE: This is even better if you use the meat from Mom's Italian Meat Sauce, and add it to everything from the Ketchup down.

1/2 sweet onion chopped
1 lb hamburger
1/2 C Ketcup
1 can V-8 juice
1/2 C water
2 bay leaves

Saute the onions in 1 Tbls of oil, add hamburger and brown.

Meanwhile in a saucepan, add remaining ingredients and bring to a simmer. Add browned hamburger to the saucepan, cover, and cook on a low simmer for an hour.

Serve on hamburger buns with fries.

Grandma's Chili

This is my best notes from Mom's info about Grandma Costley's chili. I made it for a  Halloween Party and it was devoured!

For the meat, follow the Italian Meat Sauce recipe on the blog, but stop at Tomatoe paste on the ingredient list. I used two pound of meat for this recipe:

4 ounces white mushrooms , cleaned, stems trimmed, and broken into rough pieces
1 large slice high-quality white sandwich bread , torn into quarters Mom removes crust
2 tablespoons whole milk Mom uses half and half
Table salt and ground black pepper
1 pound 85 percent lean ground beef (see note and related content)Mom buys the 5lbs of Ground Beef at Costco and doubles this recipe for that much meat
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 large onion , chopped fine (about 1 1/2 cups)
1 Cup Finely chopped Celery
6 medium garlic cloves , minced or pressed through garlic press (about 2 tablespoons)
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 tablespoon tomato paste

Follow the prep and cooking directions for the meat. 

Meanwhile, in a Crock Pot, on High add:
6 can of chili beans (pinto and/or kidney) drain 3 cans, and use the juice from the other 3
1 1/2 Cups Ketchup
2 cans of V-8
2 tsp Chili Powder
5 bay leaves

Let those ingredients simmer while you prepare the meat. 

Add meat directly from skillet, and let everything simmer for an hour or more. Before serving check to see if you need more salt. Serve warm with corn bread. 






Thursday, September 7, 2017

No Fail French Bread

This bread is DELICIOUS and the recipe makes two big loaves! Totally worth the time. Goes great with a ladies' lunch salad or even for french toast!
Diane's No Fail French Bread (from abountifulkitchen.com)

2 tablespoons dry yeast
1/2 cup warm water
2 cups hot water
3 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon (yes tablespoon) salt
5 tablespoons vegetable oil
6 cups flour, divided
1 egg, beaten- for glazing bread
Dissolve yeast in 1/2 cup warm water.
In a separate large bowl combine hot water, sugar, salt, oil and 3 cups of the flour. Stir well.
Add the yeast mixture to the hot water-flour mixture. Mix together with large wooden spoon or paddle attachment.
Add the remaining 3 cups of flour a cup at a time, mixing well after each addition.
After all of the flour is added and mixed in, let sit in bowl for 10 minutes.
When the dough has risen, stir down with a large spoon. If making in a stand mixer, turn the machine on low for a few seconds until the dough is deflated.
Repeat 5 times, every ten minutes, for a total of 60 minutes of rising and then punching down.
Divide the dough in half. Roll each half of dough in a 9x12 rectangle on a floured surface. Roll the dough up like a jelly roll (long way).
Place the dough on a greased baking pan (jelly roll pan), with the seam side down. Both loaves fit on one pan.
Score the bread across the top 3 or 4 times, and brush with beaten egg.
Let rise for 20-30 minutes in warm place.
Bake at 375 for 20 minutes in lower half of oven, until golden brown. Or you may bake at 350 convection for 20 minutes.
Yield 2 large loaves french bread
Tips:
-I make this all of the time in my Kitchen Aid stand mixer. Just use the paddle attachment until you have mixed in the first 3 cups of flour. Then switch to the dough hook to mix in the final 3 cups of flour.

-I often forget the mixing down step (5 times every 10 minutes) and have never had a problem with the bread turning out perfect. Just make sure the bread raises in the bowl until it has almost doubled in size, or for about 45 minutes. Then proceed to the rolling out step.

Sprite Grilled Chicken and Kale Citrus Salad

This Chicken is FABULOUS on its own! Great ladie's lunch salad!

PREP 
TOTAL 
YIELD 10 -12 SERVINGS

Ingredients

  • marinade:
  • 1 cup (not can) of Sprite or other Lemon Lime soda, not sugar free
  • ½ cup soy sauce
  • ½ cup canola or vegetable oil
  • 1 teaspoon crushed garlic or ½ teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1 tablespoon lemon pepper, plus additional for sprinkling on chicken before grilling
  • salad:
  • 2 chicken breast halves
  • 1 bunch of Kale, washed, trim away tough stem, cut into bite size pieces
  • 1 lemon, juiced
  • 1- 6-10 oz bag spinach
  • 1 pint strawberries, washed and sliced
  • 1 pint blackberries or blueberries, washed
  • 1 cup Craisins
  • 1 cup Cilantro, washed and cut from stem, rough chopped
  • 1 avocado, cut into chunks
  • 4 oz Gorgonzola cheese (1 small container)
  • 1 cup pumpkin seeds
  • dressing:
  • ¾ cup canola oil
  • ⅓ cup orange juice
  • ¼ cup white balsamic or cider vinegar
  • 3 tablespoons apricot or peach jam or honey about 2 tablespoons honey
  • salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

  1. Place the marinade ingredients in a ziplock bag and whisk. Add chicken to bag and place in refrigerator for at least 1-4 hours, or overnight. When ready to grill, remove chicken from bag and discard marinade. Grill over medium heat for about 8 minutes per side. Remove from grill when cooked, let cool and slice chicken against grain. Set on plate and refrigerate until ready to serve.
  2. Meanwhile, make the dressing by combining all ingredients in a blender or use an immersion blender to mix well. Refrigerate until ready to assemble salad.
  3. To assemble salad, place kale in a large bowl or on a platter. Squeeze fresh lemon over kale and using hands, massage the fresh lemon juice into the kale to break down the fibers in the kale. Gently toss the spinach with the kale. Do not massage the spinach!
  4. Arrange the remaining salad ingredients on top of the fresh kale and spinach mixture. Drizzle with prepared dressing and serve remaining dressing on the side of the salad.
  5. Serves 6 as a main dish salad, or 10-12 as a side dish.

Notes

Notes:-When serving as a side dish, you may omit the chicken. -The marinade is enough for 6-8 chicken breast halves. -If preparing salad ahead, add avocado and pumpkin seeds to salad, and dress salad just before serving.-I often grill extra chicken, cool ,slice and then use throughout the week in salads, pasta dishes or to throw in grilled tortillas with cheese and then add lettuce for a quick lunch!

Silver Dollar Sugar Cookies with Cream Cheese Frosting

From: Jaime Pace
 Really Yummy. Silver dollar size is perfect for a couple of delicious bites.
Sour Cream Cookies
1 cup sugar
½ c. butter softened
1 tsp. vanilla
1 egg
2 ⅔ c. flour
½ c. sour cream
1 tsp. baking powder
½ tsp. baking soda
½ tsp. salt
¼ tsp. nutmeg (optional, I don’t add)

Heat oven to 425.  Cream sugar and butter until pebbly. Add vanilla, and egg. Fold in sour cream. Sift together flour, powder, soda, and salt, and add to wet mixture just until mixed.  

Stick one piece of saran wrap to the counter with flecks of water.  You will cover the dough with another piece and roll it between the saran wrap. This way you can add minimal flour to keep the stickiness down and it won’t change the flavor too much.

Spoon about a baseball size of dough onto the plastic wrap, and roll ¼ inch thick.  Cut with 2 in diameter circle cutter, dipped in flour each cut. 12 fit on a sheet. Use left over dough to roll out again with the next dough blog.

Bake 6-8 minutes.  Approx 2-3 dozen cookies. Just until edges and bottom are barely golden brown.

The smaller the cookie the less time you cook them.  If you make super small ones like I do, they only need to cook for 4 min.

Let cool completely before frosting.  

Cream Cheese Frosting (1 batch will frost 1 batch of cookies)
8 oz cream cheese, room temp.
½ c. margarine or butter, softened
2 tsp. vanilla
4 ½ - 4 ¾ cups powdered sugar


Frosting tip:  Put more than you think you should, and then put some more! About a 1:1 ratio of frosting to cookie.

Spread frosting on the cookie and then dip, upside-down into a bowl of Sanding Sugar. Cover frosting completely with sanding sugar. Let sit for frosting to set a bit. To transport you need a tray with a lip of some sort.

Sanding sugar can be purchased online or at ABC Cake Decorating Supplies, 2853 E. Indian School Rd.  Phoenix, Az. 85016

Saturday, August 26, 2017

Peach Crisp

1/2 cup rolled oats
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup all purpose flour
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 cup butter
10 medium peaches or apples
In a mixing bowl combine oats, brown sugar, flour and cinnamon. Cut in butter until mixture is crumbly. Peel and core peaches or apples; slice and put into a baking dish. Sprinkle oat mixture on top of fruit and bake at 350°F degrees for 40 minutes or until fruit is tender

Tuesday, May 9, 2017

Crispy Pork Bowls

CHIPOTLE PORK POWER BOWLS

Recreating my favorite dish from Cafe Zupas today. It’s a tasty copy cat of the Mexicali Braised Pork bowl– except I’ll give you more than one measly scoop of veggies! I love the selection and fresh options Zupas has to offer but I’m not a fan of their skimpiness. I need more than 8 black beans and 1 tbsp of peppers in my life. I mean really. I decided to take matters into my own hands…. behold the Chipotle Pork Power Bowl.
Packed with protein, fiber and an abundance of flavorful nutrients this dish is sure to please! The key is crisping up your pork! It’s crutial to the flavor. I used our Instant Pot to cook the pork and then once shredded I crisped it up nicely in my Lodge cast iron skillet. This step is NOT optional! It gives it that wow factor that sets it apart from the rest! You can drizzle with fresh lime, balsamic glaze or citrus vinaigrette. All combinations are delicious! Enjoy!

Chipotle Citrus Pork Roast

yield 8-10 servings

Ingredients

  • 1 (2-2 1/2 pound) boneless pork roast, trimmed of all visible fat. I prefer Boston butt.
  • 3/4 tsp kosher salt
  • 1 tsp ground cumin
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
  • 1/8 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 5 large garlic cloves, peeled and minced
  • 1/2 cup yellow onion, chopped
  • 1 chopped chipotle chili pepper in adobo, seeds removed (two if you prefer more heat)
  • 2 limes, juiced
  • 1/4 cup organic lower-sodium chicken broth
  • 1/4 cup fresh orange juice
  • 1 tsp olive oil + more to crisp

Instructions

  1. Clean and trim roast.
  2. Sprinkle with salt, cumin, garlic powder and cinnamon and rub well.
  3. Add 1 tsp oil to the Instant Pot.
  4. On the sauté setting sear roast on all four sides. Remove from pot and set aside.
  5. Add chicken broth and orange juice into the bottom of Instant Pot, scraping the bottom to deglaze..
  6. Add the roast back to the pot.
  7. Top with onion, peppers and garlic.
  8. Cook on high pressure for 75 minutes. Allow for a natural release and check roast. If it needs more time, close the lid and continue cooking. Reset and cook on high for an additional 30 minutes. Again allow for a natural release. It should be easy to shred at this point.
  9. Shred the pork using two forks and then add lime juice. Stir until all juices are well blended.
  10. Remove shredded pork from the Instant Pot with tongs and set aside.
  11. Reduce remaining liquid down to 1 1/2 cups and reserve for later.
  12. To crisp-- Heat 1 tbsp of oil in a large non stick pan over high heat. Place shredded pork into the pan, drizzle over some juices. Wait until the juices evaporate and the bottom side is golden brown and crusty. Turn and quickly sear the other side.
  13. Repeat in batches being sure not to crowd the pan. I usually do three or four.
  14. Remove pork from skillet. Drizzle over more juices and serve immediately.

Notes

**You could also use a crock-pot if you don't have access to an Instant Pot. Just increase broth to 1/2 cup and cook on low for 8-10 hours or high for 6 hours.
To make bowls layer:
  • 2-3 cups shredded kale
  • 1/4 cup tri-colored cooked quinoa (try this easy cooking method)
  • 1/4 cup corn1/2 cup sliced bell peppers
  • 1/2 cup heirloom tomatoes, halved
  • 1/4 cup black beans, rinsed2 tbsp mashed avocado or guacamole
  • top with citrus vinaigrette dressing or balsamic glaze
Citrus Vinaigrette dressing
 2 servings
Ingredients:
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
  • 1 tablespoon fresh orange juice
  • 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
  • 1/2 teaspoon crushed garlic
  • salt and pepper to taste
Method:
  1. Whisk all ingredients together and enjoy!

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