weekend recipes

This soup was excellent. Jeff and Logan loved this soup. Instead of the chicken broth and water I used homemade turkey broth I had in the freezer. I also used some left over cooked turkey in place of the chicken. I used skim milk instead of the half and half. It was plenty creamy enough. I don’t think the extra fat from the half and half is needed.
Creamy Chicken and Wild Rice Soup (Crockpot)

4 cups chicken broth
2 cups water
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 package of Rice-a-Roni long grain and wild rice
1/2 tsp salt (plus more to taste)
1/2 tsp pepper
3/4 cup all purpose flour
1/2 cup butter
2 cups half and half
1 cup grated carrots
1 cup diced celery

Mix the broth, water, carrots, mushrooms, chicken and rice (and the seasoning packet) in the slow cooker.
Cook on low for six to eight hours or on high for four hours. I did the high version and it turned out great.
Once chicken gets tender (couple hours in), break it up into pieces while cooking.
At the end of the cooking time, get a small bowl and mix the salt, pepper and flour. In medium saucepan over medium heat, melt butter. Stir in flour mixture by tablespoon to form a roux.
Then, while still on the heat whisk in the half and half, a little at a time, into the roux until mixed completely and smooth.
Stir this yummy mixture into the soup in the crock pot then let it cook on low for 15 more minutes.

This was amazing. I really enjoyed it although I don’t think Jeff did. I was leary because it never said to drain the grease off the meat. However, I used a slotted spoon when I transferred to the squash, so a lot of that was left in the bowl. It also seemed like a lot of sugar. But it was yummy on the squash.

Stuffed Acorn Squash
Ingredients
· 2 medium acorn squash, halved andseeds removed
· 4 slices bacon, diced
· 1 medium onion, trimmed and diced
· 1 Granny Smith apple, peeled, cored and diced
· 1 pound ground beef
· 1/4 cup packed dark-brown sugar
· 1 teaspoon pumkin pie spice
· 1/2 teaspoon dried sage
· 1/4 teaspoon salt
· 1/4 teaspoon pepper
· 2 tablespoons dry bread crumbs
Directions
1. Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Place squash halves cut-side down on a rimmed dish. Add 2 cups water to dish and bake at 350 degrees F for 40 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, cook bacon in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat for 4 minutes. Add onion and apple. Cookan additional 4 minutes, stirring occasionally.
3. Stir in ground beef. Cook, breaking meat apart with a wooden spoon, 5 minutes. Add brown sugar, pumpkin pie spice, sage, salt and pepper. Cook 1 minute. Remove from heat and stir in bread crumbs.
4. Drain water from baking dish and flip over squash. Spoon meat mixture into squash halves. Return to oven and bake at 350 degrees F for 20 minutes. Serve warm.

This bread was HORRIBLE. We tried to like it, but wound up throwing most out. It was purely awful.

Whole Grain Maple Oatmeal Bread
Adapted from Healthy Bread in Five Minutes a Day
2 1/2 cups white whole wheat flour
1 cup old-fashioned rolled oats1
1/2 tbsp. granulated yeast
2 tsp. kosher salt (or to taste)
1/8 cup vital wheat gluten
1/2 tsp. cinnamon1
1/4 cups lukewarm water
1/2 cup buttermilk
3/8 cup maple syrup
1/8 cup vegetable oil
Egg wash (1 egg beaten with 1 tbsp. water) for brushing the top crust
Raw sugar for sprinkling on top

Mixing and storing the dough:Whisk together the dry ingredients in a 2 1/2 quart bowl, or a lidded (not airtight) food container. Add the liquid ingredients and mix with a spoon, without kneading. You might want to finish mixing with your hands to incorporate all of the flour.Cover (not airtight) at room temperature for about 2 hours, until the dough rises and collapses (flattens on top). The dough can be used immediately after it rises, but it’s easier to handle when refrigerated. Refrigerate in a lidded (not airtight) container and use within 7 days.On the day of baking: Grease an 8 1/2 x 4 1/2-inch nonstick loaf pan. Dust the refrigerated dough with flour and pull it out of the container. Dust with more flour and quickly shape into a ball by stretching the dough around the bottom on each side, rotating as you go.Pull the dough into an oval shape and put it into the loaf pan, it should fill about 3/4 of the pan. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and allow the dough to rise for 1 hour 45 minutes (or 60 minutes if it was not refrigerated).Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Just before baking, use a pastry brush to paint on the egg wash and sprinkle with sugar. Put the loaf pan on the middle rack and bake for 45-50 minutes, until deep brown and firm. Remove the bread from the pan
and cool completely on a wire rack before slicing.

These bagels are amazing. I’ve made before but they are so good I remembered them and made again! Made up for my bad bread the day before.

Pumpkin Spice Bagels
Ingredients
2/3 cup plus 2 tablespoons water (70° to 80°), divided
1/2 cup canned pumpkin
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1-1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
3/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
3 cups bread flour
1 package (1/4 ounce) active dry yeast
1 egg white
1 tablespoon cornmeal
Directions
In bread machine pan, place 2/3 cup water, pumpkin, brown sugar,
salt, spices, flour and yeast in order suggested by manufacturer.
Select dough setting (check dough after 5 minutes of mixing; add 1
to 2 tablespoons of water or flour if needed).

When cycle is completed, turn dough onto a lightly floured surface.
Shape into nine balls. Push thumb through centers to form a 1-in.
hole. Stretch and shape dough to form an even ring. Cover and let
rest for 10 minutes; flatten rings slightly.

Fill a Dutch oven two-thirds full with water; bring to a boil. Drop
bagels, two at a time, into boiling water. Cook for 45 seconds; turn
and cook 45 seconds longer. Remove with a slotted spoon; drain on
paper towels.

Whisk egg white and remaining water; brush over bagels. Coat a baking
sheet with cooking spray and sprinkle with cornmeal. Place bagels 2
in. apart on prepared pan. Bake at 400° for 15-20 minutes or
until golden brown. Remove to wire racks to cool.



Yield: 9 servings.

Monterey Tortilla Casserole

I made this last night. It was very good. It was a good way to use up leftover chips. I used doritos on the bottom of the casserole and served with tortilla chips. I also left out the olives because I didn't have any, and also used salsa instead of the picante sauce.

Very quick and easy!

Monterey Tortilla Casserole
1 cup coarsely crumbled tortilla chips
2 cups cooked turkey
1 15oz can cream style corn
¾ cup Pace Picante Sauce
½ cup olives
½ cup cheddar cheese
½ cup chopped pepper
Tortilla chips
1. Layer the crumbled chips, turkey, corn and picante sauce in a 1 qt casserole. Top with olives and cheese.
2. Bake at 350 for 40 minutes or until hot. Top with pepper. Serve with chips.

Apple Cider Doughnut Holes

Happy Tuesday. Last night, we made apple cider doughnut holes. They were very good. I rolled half in cinnamon sugar and half in a vanilla glaze with sprinkles for the kids. I would have liked to make a maple glaze for them but though the kids may not like it, so I stuck with the simple vanilla. The only thing is this recipe did not make 3 1/2 dozen. I got 2 1/2 dozen out of it. And the cinnamon sugar made WAY too much. You could easily cut that in half.

Apple Cider Donut Holes
posted by Babycakes / 14 February, 2011
Ingredients:
1¼ cups all-purpose flour
½ cup plus 1 tablespoon sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon cinnamon
¼ teaspoon nutmeg
¼ cup vegetable oil
1 egg
½ cup apple cider
Cinnamon-Sugar Topping
¾ cup sugar
1½ teaspoons cinnamon
Directions:
Combine flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg in a mixing bowl. Add vegetable oil, egg and apple cider. Stir until well blended.
Fill each cooking reservoir with about 1 tablespoon of batter.
Bake 4 to 5 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into donut holes comes out clean.
For cinnamon-sugar topping, combine sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl. Immediately toss hot donut holes in the mixture.
Serve warm.
Makes about 3½ dozen donut holes

Banana Cake

I will get the name right today:) I almost posted this yesterday and then decided to wait for today.

I made this Banana Crunch Cake. Very good. I halved the recipe and made it in an 8x4 pan. I don't think I baked it quite long enough because even though the toothpick came out clean, it was mushy in the center. But still very good. Jeff and Logan loved it.

Banana Crunch Cake
Ingredients
3/4 cup rolled oats
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
2 tablespoons butter, melted
2 tablespoons chopped walnuts (I eliminated)

1/2 cup shortening (I substituted cinnamon applesauce)
2/3 cup white sugar
1 cup mashed banana (I used 2 small for a 1/2 batch
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup oat flour (I used old fashioned oats, did not grind)
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup chopped walnuts (I eliminated and added some chocolate chips)
Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour an 8x8 inch pan. Make the oat crunch topping: In a small bowl, combine the rolled oats, brown sugar, melted butter and 2 tablespoons chopped walnuts. Mix well and set aside.
In a large bowl, cream shortening and white sugar until light and fluffy. Blend in bananas, eggs, and vanilla. Combine the oat flour, all-purpose flour, baking soda and salt. Beat into creamed mixture. Stir in 1/2 cup chopped walnuts. Pour batter into the prepared pan. Sprinkle with the oat crunch topping.
Bake in the preheated oven for 35 to 40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Allow to cool.

Banana Cake

We tried quite a few recipes this weekend with great success. The first was cajan shrimp roll ups. The recipe was fairly easy. I halved the recipe.

Cajun Shrimp Lasagna Rollups
Ingredients
1-1/4 pounds uncooked medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 medium onion, chopped
2 tablespoons olive oil
4 medium tomatoes, seeded and chopped (used only one and added green pepper)
2 tablespoons Cajun seasoning
3 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 cup butter, cubed
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 cups milk
1-1/2 cups (6 ounces) shredded cheddar cheese (used velveeta)
1 cup diced fully cooked andouille sausage (eliminated)
12 lasagna noodles, cooked and drained (used whole wheat)
4 ounces pepper Jack cheese, shredded (eliminated)
1 teaspoon paprika
Directions
In a large skillet, saute shrimp and onion in oil until shrimp turn pink. Stir in tomatoes and Cajun seasoning; set aside.
In a large saucepan, saute garlic in butter for 1 minute. Stir in flour until blended. Gradually add milk. Bring to a boil over medium heat; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Remove from the heat; stir in cheddar cheese until smooth. Add sausage; set aside.
Spread 1/3 cup shrimp mixture over each noodle. Carefully roll up; place seam side down in a greased 13-in. x 9-in. baking dish. Top with cheese sauce. Sprinkle with pepper Jack cheese and paprika.
Cover and bake at 350° for 15 minutes. Uncover; bake 10-15 minutes longer or until bubbly. Let stand 15 minutes before serving. Yield: 6 servings.

Secondly, I made hawaiian sliders on pretzel rolls. The pretzel rolls were ok, but I'm not sure better then the other recipe I've tried. My one complaint is that boiling them always ruins the texture. However, they were still good. The jalapenos made this HOT! Almost too hot so you couldn't taste the pineapple in the burgers. I also halved this recipe.

Hawaiian Sliders
1 can (20 ounces) unsweetened crushed pineapple
1 teaspoon pepper
1/4 teaspoon salt
1-1/2 pounds lean ground beef (90% lean)
1/4 cup reduced-sodium soy sauce
2 tablespoons ketchup
1 tablespoon white vinegar
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
18 minature whole wheat buns
Baby spinach leaves
3 center-cut bacon strips, cooked and crumbled
Sliced jalapeno peppers, optional
Directions
Drain pineapple, reserving juice and 1-1/2 cups pineapple (save remaining pineapple for another use). In a large bowl, combine 3/4 cup reserved crushed pineapple, pepper and salt. Crumble beef over mixture and mix well. Shape into 18 patties; place in two 11-in. x 7-in. dishes.
In a small bowl, combine the soy sauce, ketchup, vinegar, garlic, pepper flakes and reserved pineapple juice. Pour half of marinade into each dish; cover and refrigerate for 1 hour, turning once.
Drain and discard marinade. Using long-handled tongs, moisten a paper towel with cooking oil and lightly coat the grill rack.
Grill patties, covered, over medium heat or broil 4 in. from the heat for 4-5 minutes on each side or until a meat thermometer reads 160° and juices run clear.
Grill buns, uncovered, for 1-2 minutes or until toasted. Serve burgers on buns with spinach, remaining pineapple, bacon and jalapeno peppers if desired. Yield: 6 servings.