Green Bean Casserole

Holiday dinner tables are made more exciting by the dazzling array of side dishes. One of the classic is the humble green bean casserole. Most often I see it made with the classic cream of mushroom soup and canned green beans. That is not how I grew up eating it.
My mom always used fresh green beans. They are always available and are usually comparable in price to the canned cousin. The difference, for me, texture. The canned ones are way to soft and mushy. Fresh green beans in the casserole give you something to chew on instead of mush. Sorry to all you canned green bean lovers. They are not for me especially in a casserole where they can get lost with the sauce.
I take the couple of minutes to blanch the green beans. That means dropping them briefly in boiling salted water and the cooling them down quickly. It cooks them almost through so they can just finish in the casserole and also sets their color so they are a nice inviting bright green.

Give me a big bowl of green bean casserole with crunchy onions on top and I am one happy girl!

I could eat the whole thing.

The other thing My mom did different was to add. Soy sauce and sesame oil to the sauce. It sound odd but trust me she knew what she was doing. Soy sauce gives both salt to season and the savory taste we now call umami. The toasted sesame oil is a seasoning oil that is toasty and distinct. It will make people sit up and go "wow, this is good, what is in it?"

Green Bean Casserole

2 Cups green beans, blanched

1 Can cream of chicken

1/2 onion, diced

1 tsp sesame oil

1 tsp soy sauce

1/8 tsp ground pepper

Frenches fried onions

1. Combine the blanched beans, canned soup, onion, and seasoning. Place in a baking dish.

2.Cover with foil and bake at 350 for 20 minutes.

3. Top with fried onions and continue to bake uncovered until golden.

Chicken Salad

I have a hard time with the whole chicken, potato, egg and other mayo based salads. I am just not a mayo fan and while I have over come some of my other food fears mayo is still up there. That is why this recipe is so surprising. It has mayo and I like it.
What!
Have I changed?
No it is just very good.
I also cut the mayo with sour cream. More to calm myself down you can go straight mayo if you do enjoy it. For me it is baby steps.
This recipe could be eaten straight for a low carb version. I eat in on plain bread or a good roll but the very best way is on a buttery croissant. They are heaven. They are great for parties as small croissant sandwiches and have been used for many a baby or wedding shower or ladies events.
People always ask for the recipe. What makes it so nice is the varieties of texture and flavor. There are sweet grapes, savory chicken, bitter celery, bright lemon and creamy mayo/sour cream. You also get crunchy almonds, celery and green onion next to tender chicken and sauce.

Chicken Salad Sandwich

1 Rotisserie chicken, shredded (4 c)

3 Tbsp lemon juice

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp pepper

1/3 Cup scallions

1/4 Cup sliced almonds

1/3 Cup mayonnaise

1 Cup celery, sliced

1 Cup grapes, halved

croissants

        1. Mix together the chicken, scallions, celery, grapes and almonds.

2. In a separate bowl mix together the mayo, lemon, salt and pepper.

3. Combine the two and mix well. Serve on crescent rolls if desired

Chicken Scampi

I have long had a love affair with the chicken scampi at olive garden. I would get it every time  went there because it was the only time I could get my fix. Needless to say with my interest in cooking I was always looking to clone the recipe so I could have it whenever and with out the price tag.
I love looking at discounted or used cooking books for gems and was at the Deseret Industries in Provo, much like goodwill stores, and happened upon a copy of Top Secret Restaurant Recipes 2 by Todd Wilbur for only $2 and behold a good facsimile of the recipe!
I did make changes however. I for religious reasons to not cook with alcohol and so changes it to chicken stock, an oft used substitute and in his recipe the portions are huge, restaurant size and requires the use of two skillets to toss the pasta and the sauce I use just a large 12 in skillet to get the job done.

This is what the sauce looks like after all the ingredients have been combined. Set it aside to keep warm while you finish cooking the meat and vegetables.

Here is the sauce combines with the chicken and vegetables. The flour coating on the chicken helps the chicken get a golden brown crust but it also helps the sauce cling to it. Making it velvety and saucy. As you can see there is still room for the pasta in the 12 inch skillet though you do have to toss it carefully

I like to serve this with a good hunk of bread or some bread sticks like you get at olive garden to soak up any extra sauce.

Chicken Scampi

Sauce:

3 Tbsp butter

2 Tbsp onion, minced

1/4 Cup garlic, minced

1 1/2 Cups chicken broth

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp italian seasoning

1/2 tsp crushed red pepper

1/4 tsp pepper

2 tsp fresh parsley, minced

1 Cup heavy cream

1 lb angel hair pasta

4 Tbsp olive oil

12 chicken tenders

1/2 Cup flour

1 each, green, red and yellow bell pepper

1 red onion, sliced

2 tsp fresh parsley, minced

Parmesan cheese, for topping

1. Melt the butter on low. Add the onion and garlic cook until they soften slightly and are fragrant. Add the stock, salt, Italian seasoning and crushed red pepper. Simmer until reduced by half. Stir in the fresh parsley and cream. Heat 10 minutes without boiling.

2. Prepare the pasta, removing just before al dente.

3. Heat oil in a skillet. Season the chicken with salt and pepper then dredge in the flour. Brown in the oil, removing from the pan when cooked through. Add the vegetables and oil as needed and cook until just softened.

4. Return the chicken, pasta and sauce to the pan tossing and heating through. Garnish with parsley and cheese if desired and serve.

BBQ Pork Spare Ribs

My maternal Grandmother is nearing her 100th birthday. I can remember when we celebrated her 90th birthday will a family gathering with favorite foods and of course lots of pictures from her life. While there were many dishes and treats that her children and grandchildren like me made to remember her the main dish and my favorite were these barbecue pork spare ribs.
They are made with country style pork ribs that cook slowly in the rich and savory sauce. They were produced in mass for the party and I remember a huge (read I have never seen such a big) crock pot

/warmer. The meat was so tender that as I tried to coax a rib onto my plate the part I was not grabbing with my tongs would slow motion separate and I would have to dig around for more.

The cloves are what make the sauce so different from other sauces and I love to take the extra sauce and spoon it over a baked potato.

If my last grandparent Grandma Lindberg makes it to 100 I will petition for these to be served 

Grandma Lindberg's BBQ Pork Spare Ribs

2 lb country style spareribs

1 Tbsp shortening

2 Tbsp flour

2 Tbsp mustard

1/4 Cup onion, minced

1/2 tsp cloves

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp pepper

2 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce

1 Cup juice from canned fruit, any kind

1 Cup ketchup

1. Heat the shortening in a skillet. Pat the meat dry. Brown spareribs on all sides in the shortening.

2. Mix the remaining ingredients. Pour over meat into a baking dish.

3. Bake cover with foil at 350 for 1 1/2 hours. Remove the foil for the last 15 minutes.

chocolate cake

Normally when it comes to cake I go straight for the boxed cake mix. It is simple and almost foolproof. But when my sister in law invited us over to celebrate her sons birthday I realized what cake especially birthday cake should be. You could tell by the way it cut that it was more dense and rich. I had to make my own.
My 30th birthday was coming up and I wanted to make a worthy birthday cake. I finally hit on the right combination. Creaming the sugars and butter and then whipping the eggs in, along with the baking powder and soda gave it lift. The buttermilk gave it a nice tang and the cup of coco made sure it was rich with chocolate flavor.
The finished cake is so moist and dark.

So rich and chocolaty it really needs a glass of milk.

Chocolate Cake

2 c Flour
1 c Coco
1 1/2 tsp Baking Powder
2 tsp Baking soda
1 tsp Salt
1 c sugar
1 c Brown sugar
3/4 c butter, room temp
1 1/2 c buttermilk
1/4 c water
2 tsp vanilla
2 eggs +1 yolk

Ganache
8 oz semisweet chocolate
1 c cream
1 tsp vanilla

Cream Cheese frosting
6 oz cream cheese
4 T butter
2 c powdered sugar
1/3 c coco

1. Cream together the butter and the sugar. Switch to the whisk attachment and add the eggs, vanilla and buttermilk.

2. Combine all of the dry ingredients. Gently add the dry into the wet. Stop mixing as soon as combined.

3. Prepare the pans. Spray with nonstick cooking spray. place a piece of parchment cut to fit the pan. Spray as well. Use coco powder to dust the pan. Preheat the oven to 350.

4. Pour the cake mix evenly between the pans. Bake 20 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Do not overbake!

5. Let cool in the pans until almost room temperature. run a knife around the edges . Gently invert and remove the cake. Place on a rack and refrigerate until cool and firmed.

6. Trim the top of one of the cakes to level it. Spread the cream cheese frosting on top and use it to glue the other cake on. Place in the fridge to firm up.

Italian Sausage and Lentil Soup

Sometimes you want a hearty, warm soup during the stressful times. This was the case for me. It was a family portrait day.

It was also a chilly day, at least for Houston Texas. Which meant it was probably only around 50 degrees but for us it was chilly enough.

Taking a family photo is stressful enough, I had two children four and under to feed, wrestle into cloths and attempt to keep clean. Add to that a less them enthusiastic husband who had to be prodded along and I had my hands full.

When all the smiles were used up, the kids rolling on the floor and pulling any remaining decor from their hair, we needed a break. Que grandma. My mom lives less than 15 minutes from all but one of her children and so drinks up all the time with the grand kids that she can. She whisked the children away for whatever breaded chicken, french fry emporium was close and off home to play.

We got to try to narrow 50 photos down to 4 or 5 eventually closing our eyes and pointing when they were to close to call. Once selected we had a little waiting period so the pictures could be printed, so we left to find some much needed nourishment to bolster our now dwindling energy reserves.
We skipped over the greasy fast food and went for something more nourishing at a nearby Italian restaurant.  One look at the lunch menu and we both ordered the same thing, sausage and lentil soup.
Two gently steaming vessels were brought out. The bowls themselves were warm, encouraging you to cup your hands around it and soak it up. The soup was an earthy brick red, thick like a stew from some of the lentils dissolving. The spicy sausage was tingly on the lips but not so spicy to keep that a relative wimp like me from going back for the next spoonful again and again. We were both warmed and cheered and I went home planning to make my own batch as soon as I could go to the store.

Italian Sausage and Lentil Soup

1 lb Hot Italian sausage
1 1/3 Cups Brown lentils
1 Cup Celery, diced
1 Onion, diced
1 Tbsp Garlic, minced
2 Tbsp Extra virgin olive oil
1/2 tsp Thyme
1/2 Cup Fresh parsley, minced
1 tsp Oregano
2 Bay leaves
2 Quarts Chicken stock
1 28 Oz Can tomatoes, crushed by hand
2 Tbsp Sugar

1. Heat a Dutch oven or large pot. Brown the sausage and remove. Pour off most of the fat and add the olive oil. 2. When heated add the celery and onions.

3. Saute until slightly softened, add the garlic. Cook till fragrant.

4. Add the herbs, lentils and stock bring to boil and reduce to a simmer. Simmer and cook half way. Add the tomatoes, season with salt and continue to simmer until lentils are tender.

Cherry limeade

Cherry limeade is one of those childhood treats that just can't fail to bring a smile. The only place to get it was Sonic and that was what we got every time we went. Getting anything else was just unthinkable. 

I don't know why it took so long to come up with the homemade version it is not complicated and thank goodness anywhere I go, however far away the nearest Sonic is I can have it.

Cherry Limeade

1 jar maraschino cherries, with the juice

2 Lt lemon lime soda

12 oz frozen limeade concentrate 

1. Combine in a pitcher, gently adding the soda to keep the fizz. Serve.

Zuppa Toscana

I had been to Olive Garden many times and I almost always got the chicken scampi. I will have to post a recipe for that later. This time I wanted to give the recipe for one of their soups, zuppa toscana. I was introduced to it by my sister in law Caryn. While I was stuck on chicken scampi she loved the soup. As soon as I had it I agreed it was very good.
Of course when you can only have it on special occasions when you go out to eat I endeavored to make a just as good or better homemade version. I came up with this version that I think is very close or even better than the restaurants. I like to use the mild Italian sausage in the casing and either chop it after cooking or squeeze it from the casing while still raw. I think it makes larger, nicer chunks in the soup than the regular ground Italian sausage.

Zuppa Toscana

1 lb mild italian sausage links

6 slices bacon

1/4 c water

2 T oil

1/4 c flour

1 lrg onion, diced

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 bunch kale. leaves stripped from the stems and roughly chopped

1/2 c whipping cream

2 c milk

1 T chicken base

salt and pepper to taste

5 medium red potatoes sliced 1/4 in thick

1. In a dutch oven or soup pot, pour in the water and add the sausage and bacon. Cook covered, on medium until the bacon has crisped and the sausage is cooked. Remove each as they reach doneness.
2. Add the onion to the pot and saute until slightly transparent. Add the garlic and cook another 30 seconds. You should be able to smell it.
3. To the fat left in the pot add the oil and the flour. Stir and let it cook for a minute until it looks like wet sand. Slowly stir in 1 qt water whisking to prevent and lumps.Add the milk, potatoes salt and pepper. Let it simmer until the potatoes are almost tender.
4. Add the kale and cream and cook until the potatoes are done and the kale is slightly wilted. Season with salt and pepper and serve  

Key Lime Pie

I have never been a huge cake fan. It's ok, but for my birthday I have more often than not opted for not traditional desserts like bread pudding, cobblers and pie.
In college and newly married I opted to have key lime pie for my birthday. I did not find real key limes I had real key lime juice. I followed the recipe on it which is the most uniform recipe for it there is and when you see how easy it is you will wonder why you would ever bother to buy it rather than make it yourself.

  

Key Lime Pie

1 graham cracker crust

3 egg yolks

1 can sweetened condensed milk

1/2 c key lime juice

whipped topping

1. Combine the egg, condensed milk and the juice.

2. Heat the oven to 350. Pour the mix into the crust.

3. bake 10-15 minutes until set. Cool. and refrigerate.

4. Top with whipped topping and serve.

Amazingly simple and also amazingly delicious!

Scones

When you say scone two people can have very different things in mind. I now am to understand that mist people when you ask "would you like a scone?" envision a baked often triangular biscuit like pastry. That is not what I understood to be a scone. On my moms side of the family and apparently is common in Utah is a dough that is fried and smeared with jam or honey. Chewy fried dough is hard to beat in my book so I will keep with the version that I know. Try them and I think you will agree that they are a special treat.

Scones

1 Quart Buttermilk

2 pkgs yeast (2T)

1/4 Cup warm water

2 Tbsp sugar

2 eggs, beaten

2 Tbsp oil

1 1/4 tsp salt

3 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

6 Cups flour

1. Place the yeast in the warm water and let sit 2 minutes. Add the buttermilk, sugar, eggs, oil, salt, baking powder, baking soda and 4 cups of the flour. Beat until smooth and well mixed.

2. Add the remaining 2 cups of flour to form a soft dough. Allow to raise covered at room temperature until doubled. Punch down and place in the refrigerator overnight.

3. To cook, begin by heating about and inch of vegetable oil in a large skillet.

4. Tear off a large slab of dough. Roll out the dough very thin on a floured board. Using a pizza wheel, cut the dough into squares 2-3 inches big. 

5. Fry in oil, browning both sides. Serve with honey or jam.

*Makes 200 scones and the dough keeps in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks

Caramel

I am a sucker for caramel. When it comes to candy bars, some lean towards the peanut butter items, some the nougat, I love the caramel. I would take a Snickers, Twix or Rollo over a Reeses cup, Milky Way or Butterfinger any day. The only thing better is the real home made stuff. The caramel flavor is so much richer and the chew better.
We like many families made plates of treats to give to friends and neighbors around Christmas. The two things that we klijner (secret family recipe, or I would share) and grandmas caramels. Cookies were good and a Christmas only treat but I think as kids we would devour the caramels even faster. Making only one batch was unheard of. There were always at least two batches, one with nuts and one without to satisfy both groups.
I like to make the caramel anytime of year and they are always a welcome gift. Making candy can seem intimidating but is simple stirring and a matter of heating it to the right temperature.

As you can see I like to wrap mine it parchment paper, however growing up we wrapped them in wax paper. Either will work well and prevent the caramel from sticking to the wrapping

Grandma Lindberg's Caramel

2 Cups light corn syrup

2 Cups sugar

3 Cups whipping cream or 2 c cream and 1 c evaporated milk

1/2 -1 tsp salt

2 Tbsp vanilla

1/2 can sweetened condensed milk

1 Cup nuts, opt

1.In a large pot, bring the syrup and the sugar to a boil while stirring, until the mixture begins to turn a golden color. Stir constantly throughout cooking.

2. Scald the whipping cream. Add very slowly to rapidly boiling mixture.

3.Next gradually add the sweetened condensed milk, keeping the mixture boiling. Continue boiling and stirring to the medium ball stage on a candy thermometer.

4.Turn off the heat but leave on the stove. Add the salt, nuts and vanilla to candy. Pour into a lightly buttered pan. Let stand overnight without moving.

5.Cut into squares and wrap in parchment or waxed paper.

Chicken Pot Pie

I have always liked chicken pot pie but the cheap ones in the frozen section of the grocery store stink and with my own attempts I had several failures. I have usually done the pie crust top and I made an ok skillet version that used drop biscuits but I saw a version on that made the top with one big biscuit. Truly a Pot Pie. So I changed things to my taste and made a truly good pot pie. If you are going to indulge in this comfort food, make sure it is really good.

Chicken Pot Pie


1 whole chicken, cut up
4 celery stalks
4 carrots
2 onions
salt and pepper
1 bay leaf
1/2 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp thyme
1 tsp majoram
8 T butter or chicken fat
3/4 c flour
1 c peas
1/4 c parsley
1 T chicken base
Bisciut
1 1/2 c flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp cream of tartar
6 T butter, cold
1/2 c 2 T buttermilk

1. Season the chicken with salt and pepper. Heat a dutch oven. Brown the chicken skin side first. When well browned remove the chicken and drain the fat. Return the chicken  to the oat along with 2 celery and 2 carrots, broken up, 1 onion quartered and the bay leaves, oregano, thyme and majoram.
2. Simmer 40 minutes until tender. Remove chicken and cool. Strain the stock.
3. In the now empty pot heat the butter/chicken fat and add flour and mix throughly. Gradually add the stock, whisking to prevent lumps.
4. Make the Biscuit dough by cutting the butter into the flour. Add the remaining dry ingredients. Gently combine the buttermilk and just bring it together. Gently pat into a disk the size of your pot.
5. Add vegetables and simmer until tender. Add the peas and parsley and top with the biscuit dough.
6. Bake in a 450 degree oven for 25 minutes until the biscuit is crisp and golden.

lemongrass pork tenderloin

I don't eat tenderloin that much pork or beef because it is usually a bit pricy but the other day they had it on sale so I picked up some. They come in a two pack, always do because they are small. I knew I wanted to use it but did not have a specific recipe in mind I just wanted to rub some herbs and flavor on it grill it along with some veggies and have that be dinner.
The time to cook dinner comes around and I have to actually have to do something. Fortunately there are a few herbs in the garden that are doing well or well enough in the summer heat. I always like the greenness of fresh herbs and having a few plants is way cheaper than the grocery store. Except for cilantro and parsley. They are usually cheap and when I use them it is always a ton.
Anyway I was super excited because this year I have been growing some lemongrass. It is an herb. An amazing herb that way more people need to be using. The stalk is tough and you don't really eat it but it gives flavor to stuff. It gives the mist flavor when crushed. I like to split it in half lengthwise and then bash it with the blunt side of the knife to get the flavor out. I also used some rosemary and it was amazing!

Lemongrass Pork Tenderloin
1/3 c extra virgin olive oil
1 tsp fresh rosemary, chopped
1 stalk lemongrass, smashed
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp lemon zest
1/2 lemon juiced
1/2 tsp sugar
1 pork tenderloin

1. Combine the marinade ingredients except for the sugar. Divide in half.
2. Put half of the marinade in a zip top bag with the pork. Let marinate 20 minutes. Add the sugar to the remaining unused marinade and reserve.
3. Heat the grill nice and hot. Wipe off any excess marinade and sear the meat on all sides. It should brown quickly if the grill is hot and not be cooked through yet. Turn one side of the grill off and the other to medium. Leave the meat on the off side and brush all the sides with the marinade with sugar that you reserved. Close the lid and cook until the pork is just still a touch pink and juicy. Let rest a few minutes slice and serve.

Chicken Pot Pie

Inspired by other recipes I have seen I wanted to try again to make a chicken pot pie. My previous attempts were anemic in chickeny flavor. Also I am a huge fan on the one pot thing where I can make everything in one pot instead of a pot and a pie plate or individual ramekins. They can be fun and fancy but for the regular dinner mode I want something more practical and less messy. I have other things I want to do then dishes.

Chicken Pot Pie

1 whole chicken, cut up into its parts

4 stalks celery

4 carrots

2 onions

salt and pepper

1 bay leaf

1/2 tsp oregano

1/2 tsp thyme

1 tsp marjoram

8 T butter/ chicken fat

3/4 c flour

 1 c peas

1/4 c parsley

1 T chicken base

Biscuit Top

1 1/2 c flour

2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

2 tsp sugar

1/2 tsp cream of tartar

6 T butter, cold

1/2 c 2 T buttermilk

1. Season the chicken with salt and pepper. Heat a dutch oven over medium high heat and when hot add the several pieces of the chicken skin side down. Let cook unmoved until a nice golden crust appears. turn and brown on all sides. remove and repeat with the remaining chicken. Pour out the chicken fat, reserving for later.

2. Return the chicken to the pot along with 1 onion cut into quarters, the skin still on, 2 celery stalks snapped into 2 or 3 pieces each, 2 carrots also broken, with the bay leaf, oregano, thyme,  and marjoram. Cover with 8 cups of water.

3. Bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer. If you are inclined, skim off any of the foam that accumulates from the chicken simmering. Continue simmering 1 hour or until the chicken is tender and shreds easily. Remove the chicken to cool and shred and strain the broth. I like to pour the broth into a large bowl with a fine mesh strainer or cheesecloth to get out all of the solids.

4. In the empty pot, heat the butter or chicken fat. I like to measure and use what fat I have from cooking the chicken and use butter for the rest. Add the flour and cook until it mixes into a wet sand texture. Gradually add the stock you made whisking to remove and lumps.

5. Chop the remaining 2 stalks celery, 2 carrots and the onion into bite sized pieces and add to the opt along with the shredded meat. Let it simmer, stirring occasionally until the vegetables are tender.

6. While that is simmering, make to biscuit top. Crumble the butter in the flour with your fingers until it is the size of peas. Add the remaining baking powder, salt, sugar cream of tartar and buttermilk and mix until it is just combined.

7. Lay out on a piece of parchment or wax paper and form into a solid mass. Gently press into a circle roughly the size of your pot.

8. Heat the oven to 350 and check the pot. If the vegetables are cooked add the peas and the fresh parsley, stirring it together. Using the parchment or wax paper to lift it, gently lift and then flip the biscuit top onto the food in the pot. Place in the oven and bake until the top is golden and the biscuit is cooked through.

Crepes are often intimidating to most but they are rather like really thin pancakes. The bonus is that once you know how to make them you can dress them up a million and a half different ways. These crepes are sweet crepes but if you omit the sugar and vanilla they are savory and can be filled for dinner like a enchilada, or fancy lobster.
In this photo I went the sweet route and filled them like a breakfast or dessert crepe. I used a fruit dip recipe I like along with some strawberries and chocolate drizzle. I also really love lemon curd. The thing to remember is they are thin and light and I do not like to over stuff them because then all you taste is the filling and not the delicious crepe you made.

Crepe

1/2 Cup water

1/2 Cup Milk

1 Cup flour

2 eggs

2 tsp sugar

1 tsp vanilla

melted butter

Directions

1. Combine the water, milk, flour, eggs, sugar and vanilla in a blender. refrigerate t least 1 hour.

2. Melt some butter in a small skillet. Add 1/4 c of the batter. Swirl around to coat the pan.

3. When the crepe is browned slightly flip to cook the other side. remove and layer between wax paper until served.

They can be made ahead of time, layered and placed in a ziplock bag in the fridge.

Sweet Rolls

 These are cinnamon rolls. In our family they were just always known as sweet rolls. I suppose with the name sweet rolls you could fill them with other things, orange or raspberry, and you could still call them sweet rolls.
This recipe was from a woman in our church. She would sell them at events in the town. People would ask for the recipe but she wouldn't give it. Finally the day came where she was going to move away and agreed to share the recipe. They had a special class for the women where she taught them how to make it. My mom wrote everything down.
now we get to enjoy the most soft, pillow like, cinnamon rolls you ever had.

Sweet Rolls

2 tsp salt

1/2 Cup potato flakes

1/2 Cup sugar

1/2 Cup powdered sugar

1 stick butter

3 Cups hot water

4 Cups flour

2 eggs

2 Tbsp scant instant yeast

3 Cups flour

1/2 Cup butter

1 Cup sugar

2 Tbsp cinnamon

Icing

1 stick butter

1 lb powdered sugar

1/4 Cup milk

1 tsp vanilla

Directions

1. Combine the salt, potato flakes, sugar and powdered milk.

2. Drop in 1 stick butter. Add 3 cups hot water. Combine until all the butter is melted.

3. Add 4 c flour and beat until very elastic, about 4-5 minutes in the mixer.

4. Add 2 eggs. Beat in.

5. Add the 2 scant T instant yeast and beat until it is well blended.

6. Add about 3 cups flour (add the last cup a part at a time) Dough is very soft. almost sticky, but if lightly tapped will not stick to the end of a finger.

7. Cover canvas board with 1/2 c flour. drop dough on canvas. Cover all sides of dough with flour. 8. Clean and grease mixing bowl. dump back into bowl, cover and allow to raise about 1 hour until tripled in size.

8. Dump dough back onto floured canvas. Divide into 4 sections. Roll out one at a time to rectangle about 10x6. Melt remaining butter. Combine the cinnamon and sugar. Spread butter and cinnamon sugar on dough. Roll and cut for sweet rolls. Place on greased pan and allow to raise about 1 hour.

9. Bake at 350 for 10 minutes.

10. Mix icing and ice while warm.

orange marmalade cookies

These cookies go fast. I love the chewy orange bits in the cookie and the tart lemony frosting. When I make them I have to give a bunch away or I end up eating them all.

Orange Marmalade cookies

1 1/3 Cups sugar

2/3 Cup butter, room temperature

2 Eggs

3/4 Cup orange marmalade

3 Cups flour

2 1/2 tsp baking powder

Icing

2 Cups powdered sugar

3 Tbsp butter

1 Tbsp lemon juice

1 tsp lemon zest

1. Cream together the butter and sugar.

2. Add the eggs, marmalade, flour and baking powder and beat together.

3. Preheat the oven to 375. Drop by tsps on parchment paper or greased baking sheet. Bake 8 minutes.

4. Combine the icing ingredients with a hand mixer and ice the cooled cookies.

Cucumber Crackers

Sometimes the simplest recipes get overlooked. The ones that are hardly a recipe so they don't get written down and then one day the are forgotten. Well not today!
One of our favorite snacks growing up was kind of like a tea sandwich or snack, only we are Mormon and don't drink tea or coffee. We called them cucumber crackers. I don't know what else we could have called them.

We loved them as a snack. We would have used them more often as an appetizer at parties but the cracker gets soggy if left for more than a couple minutes. We always just ate them as they were made. They were too tasty to sit around long anyway.

Cucumber Crackers

1 8 oz package cream cheese

1 pkg Italian Dressing Mix

1-2 cucumbers (peeled if the skin is waxy), sliced

Ritz crackers

1. Mix together the cream cheese and the dressing mix.

2. Spread on crackers and top with a cucumber slice.

Egg Rolls

Egg rolls are expensive. They are always and extra $1.50-$2 on top of the meal. They are so good sometimes you want another. The refrigerated or freezer ones are never as crispy as a fresh egg roll.
It took a lot of practice but I got a recipe that produces flavorful, crispy and abundant egg rolls.

Egg Rolls
1 pkg egg roll wrappers
1/2 lb Ground Pork
1 carrot, shredded
1 1/2 c Cabbage, thinly shredded
1/3 c snow peas, julienned
1 celery rib, diced small
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/4 ginger
1/8  Pepper
Soy sauce
sesame oil
rice wine
vegetable oil, for frying

1. Heat a skillet, add pork, garlic powder, ginger and pepper. Sauté until cooked and crumbled. Remove and set aside.

2. Reheat the skillet, add 1 T oil. Add the carrot, celery, and snow peas, season with garlic power, ginger and pepper. When softened add the cabbage.

3. Continue to saute, adding back the pork. Season with sesame oil, soy sauce and rice wine. Sauté together 1-2 minutes. set aside to cool.

4. Once cool, drain any liquid from the filling, it would make a soggier egg roll. Fill each egg roll wrapper with about 1\4 c filling. Follow the package instructions for rolling the egg roll. This usually means turning it to be a diamond. Folding the bottom over the filling. Then folding in the two sides and rolling up sealing at the top.

5. Fry in oil at 375 until crisp and golden. Remove to wire cooling rack over paper towels. Serve with sweet and sour sauce.

Dewberry Cobbler

One of the things I loved about growing in Houston Texas was the dewberries. Dewberries look like a small blackberry. They are a little less sweet than the blackberries you get at the store and the juice is more reddish. They grow wild all throughout the south.
Ever spring we watch for when the berries bloom. They are little white flowers with five petals. You know they are dewberries because they grow in clumps all along the edge of the woods where the sun reaches. We watch for the flowers to know where the large patches of berries are. They are much harder to spot when they are small and green.
When you start seeing the berries turn red, the ripe black ones are not far behind. Raven as small children out parents would take us out and brave the prickly dewberry vines to pick the berries. We loved it.
We ate them on pancakes with powdered sugar, in cereal and as homemade jam, but our favorite thing to make was dewberry cobbler.

Dewberry Cobbler

2 1/2 Cups dewberries

1/2 Cup water

2 Tbsp lemon juice

1 tsp lemon zest

1 Cup brown sugar

1 tsp Cinnamon

3/4 Cup flour

3/4 Cup sugar

2 tsp baking powder

3/4 Cup milk

1/3 Cup butter

1.Place the berries in a 9x9 baking dish. You could also divide evenly between ramekins for personal sized portions.

2. Add water. Pour lemon juice and zest over berries. Spread the brown sugar on top and sprinkle with cinnamon.

3. In a separate bowl mix together the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt and milk. Mix until smooth. The batter will be thin. Pour over the berries. dot with butter and bake at 350 until the top is golden.

Bruschetta

One of the simplest things to make, this is a summer joy.

The better the tomatoes and the olive oil the better the treat. My Mom planted a garden in her backyard and the main reason for the whole thing was to keep her well supplied with fresh from the garden tomatoes and basil so she could have this for lunch or as a snack everyday. She planted so much even she couldn't eat it all. 

I caught her as she was clearing the bed at the end of the summer season and had to stop her from throwing away and entire garbage bag of basil. I was like, Aaaahhhhh! You can't throw that away, and then proceeded to make and freeze about seven batches of pesto and pesto compound butter. Please don't waste delicious garden bounty. 

Bruschetta

4 roma tomatoes

1 T olive oil, plus more for brushing

1/2 tsp kosher salt

4 fresh Basil leaves, torn or chiffinade

1/2 baguette, sliced into 1/2 inch slices

1. Toss the tomatoes, olive oil, salt and basil. Set aside.

2. Brush the baguette slices with olive oil.

3. Heat a grill or skillet. Place the bread in a single layer and toast on the gill or in the pan until golden brown in places. 

4. To serve spoon the tomato mix over the toasts and serve.

When serving these to a crowd I like to offer the toasts and tomato mix separately, letting people make them. They get soggy from the tomatoes if left to sit. As a bonus people who don't like tomatoes or kids still enjoy the toasted bread.

Pico de gallo

Oh man, Cinco de Mayo is coming and you know what that means....my wedding anniversary! Also Mexican food I guess. Well Monday was my first day as head chef at my parents house. They are leaving for two years and my family will act as stewards of the house and my parents had signed up to feed the missionaries. I decided to make a copy cat Cafe Rio night and took a fabulous picture of the Pico de Gallo.

No mexican meal seems complete without it. Simple and refreshing it is the best.

Pico de Gallo

5 roma tomatoes, diced

1 onion. diced

1 bunch cilantro chopped

2 jalapenos, diced

1 lemon, juiced

1 tsp kosher salt

Toss everything to combine and let sit for a minute or two to combine. Taste for if it needs more lemon or salt.

I will try to do a big post with all the Cafe Rio recipes before Cinco de Mayo but no pics probably. 

Cashew Chicken

Cashew chicken is a popular dish at our house. I usually end up making two batches one the regular way and another without the cilantro and lime. It not the kids it is my husband who is one of those people who just doesn't like cilantro. So sad because I love it. It is just one of those food that people either love or they don't.
I also like this recipe because like most stir-frys it cooks up quickly. You can prepare all the veggies and meat and sauce in advance and the longest thing to cook is the rice to serve with it.

Cashew Chicken
1 lb chicken breasts, sliced into matchsticks
1 1/2 Cups carrots, julienne
1 1/2 Cups asparagus, 2 inch lengths
1 Cup cashews
1 Cup oil
marinade
2 Tbsp fish sauce
1 Tbsp lime zest
1 Tbsp honey
1 Tbsp sesame oil
2 Serrano chilies, diced
2 Tbsp cilantro
sauce
1/4 Cup vegetable or chicken broth
2 Tbsp rice wine
2 Tbsp soy sauce
1 Tbsp sesame oil
2 tsp Cornstarch
1/2 tsp sugar
1/4 tsp pepper

Directions:
1. Combine the chicken and all the marinade ingredients. Let sit 20-30 minutes.
2. Heat the wok, swirl in oil and stir fry the chicken until opaque. transfer to a plate and keep warm.
3. Combine the sauce ingredients. wipe the wok and return to high heat. Swirl in oil and add vegetables. Stir fry until crisp tender. return the chicken and add the cashews. Heat and add sauce. stir until thickened. Serve over rice.

salsa

I really like the composition of this salsa picture that I took but the salsa was in the shadows a but and wasn't the star.

So I took it to photoshop and adjusted the light and brightened the salsa.

Now you can see the salsa.

Summer Barley Salad

So with summer coming I am very excited for the return of all the summer fruits and vegetables like corn, tomatoes and the like.
This recipe I found on pintrest and changed the dressing and such to suit my tastes.

I did not include this in the picture but I would usually serve this with grilled chicken or fish.

  

Summer Barley Salad

3/4 Cup barley

2 ears of corn

1 Cup grape tomatoes

4 slices bacon

1 lrg avocado, diced

1/2 tsp salt, plus more to taste

4 tsp lemon juice

1/4 Cup red onion, diced

3 Tbsp Olive oil

1. Prepare the barley according to the package directions and set aside.

2. In a skillet cook the bacon. pour out most of the fat leaving behind just enough to sauté the corn.

3. Slice the tomatoes, set in a colander over a bowl. salt the tomatoes and let drain. press lightly to get mote juice.

4. Make a dressing from the tomato juice, lemon juice, olive oil, salt and pepper.

5. Combine the barley, corn, tomatoes, crumbled bacon, avocado and red onion. Toss with the dressing. Season to taste and serve.

strawberries in the gutter

My sister Sarah had the ingenious idea to plant strawberries in a rain gutter suspended from the overhang on the garage. It's great. The berries avoid rotting on damp ground and eaten by slugs as so often is the case here in the humid south. Already they have a bunch of strawberries in the works and the kids will have so much fun picking them.

This was one of the first pictures I took with my new lens for the camera. It as a larger aperture getting all the way down to 1.8 f stop. The large aperture gives that nice blurred background, hence even though the wall of the garage is less than a foot from the strawberry is has a nice soft blurred appearance while the strawberry and leaf are in sharp focus. So fun! 

Bread

So I was trying to come up with my own basic bread recipe to use and I based it on what I have learned. The first one did not have enough salt and was really bland the second was much better.

This is my first time editing my photo in Photoshop. I shot the pictures in raw format so I could do more with them. I was able to adjust the color slightly as well as darken the background and lighten the loaf. It also allowed me to sharpen the look of the loaf. There is so much to learn and even some stuff I was trying and didn't figure out.

Kumquats

So we had a tree that had a small orange fruit that we knew was edible and i think we made jam once or twice but people are always getting them mixed up with another fruit. Loquat is the fruit we had and they are small like a grape tomato bit they are fuzzy like a peach. They are often grown ornamentaly. People like to call them kumquats which is another fruit entirely. They look like an orange only shaped like a grape tomato. They can be eaten whole. I found some nice looking ones at the grocery store and wanted to take some pictures.

I read that back-lighting is great for brightening up the citrus slices and the one in the middle really does get a glow from the light coming in the window.

Skillet Enchiladas

So still not the best photo of skillet enchiladas. The day was rainy and cool and left blueish tones to the light. Better than the crazy orange light from the kitchens on earlier attempts. I can do better and I will next time they come up for dinner again. Very yummy though. All the flavor and texture of enchiladas without all the dishes and effort of rolling each individual enchilada.

Skillet Enchiladas

10 fresh corn tortillas, sliced 1 inch thick
Vegetable oil
1 Onion, diced
1/2 Bell pepper, diced
1 Clove Garlic
12 Tbsp Flour
1 Cup Chicken broth
1 Can Enchilada sauce
Salt and pepper
1 1/2 Cups Shredded chicken
4 Green onions, sliced
1 4 Oz Can diced green chilies
3 Cups Shredded mexican cheese
Cilantro

1. Heat 3tbs oil in a cast iron skillet and fry the tortilla strips until beginning to crisp. Remove.
2. Add the onion and bell pepper to the skillet, sauté until tender. Stir in the garlic, sauté until fragrant.
3. Whisk flour into the vegetables and oil, cook out the rawness to make a roux. Slowly whisk in the chicken broth.
4. Pour in the enchilada sauce, chicken and diced green onions, 1/2 of the tortilla strips and 1 cup of the cheese. Stir well then cover with remaining tortillas and cheese. Place under the broiler until golden and bubbly. Top with cilantro and serve.

White Chicken Chili

I really had fun. I went shopping for props and found the best looking poblano I could. This was the same shopping trip that I get the radishes but I had to get motivated to put the effort to get the recipe up with the photos. I think the portrait one is the best.

The recipe was from americas test kitchen and although it is a little work it is a very yummy chicken chili.

White Chicken Chili

3 lb Bone in chicken breasts or theighs

Salt and pepper

1 Tbsp Vegetable oil

3 Jalapeno

3 Poblano, seeded and diced

3 Anaheim, seded ans diced

2 Onions, cut in large pieces

1 Tbsp Cumin

6 garlic cloves, minced

1 1/2 tsp Coriander

2 16 oz cans Canellini beans, drained and rinsed

3 Cups Chicken Broth

3 Tbsp Lime juice, 2-3 limes

1/4 Cup Minced cilanrto

4 Scallions, sliced thin white and green

1. Season the chicken with salt and pepper. Heat oil in a large Dutch oven. Add chicken skin side down until golden, brown the other side. Remove and discard the skin.

2. Remove seeds from 2 jalapeños, mince. In food processor pulse the peppers and onion in batches to the consistence of chunky salsa.

3. Pour off all but 1 Tb fat from the Dutch oven, and reduce the heat to medium. Add the jalapeños, chili mixture, cumin, garlic, coriander and 1/4 tsp salt. Cover and cook stirring occasionally until softened. Remove pot from heat.

4. Transfer 1 cup of the cooked vegetable mixture to an empty food processor. Add 1 cup of the beans and 1 cup of the broth and process until smooth. Add the vegetable bean mixture, the remaining 2 cups broth and the chicken to the dutch oven. Bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer. Cook until the chicken is cooked through.

5. Using tongs, remove the chicken to a plate. Stir in remaining beans and continue to simmer uncovered until heated through and thickened.

6. Mince the remaining jalapeno. Shred the chicken and throw away the bones. Stir in the shredded chicken, lime juice, cilantro, scallions and the jalapeno and return to a simmer. Serve.