Soup

Chicken and Sweet Potato Soup (Kitchen Cafe)
*Note: Increase the red pepper flakes if you like more heat. The 1/4 teaspoon in the recipe will give gentle and flavor but is not overly spicy (as in, my kids ate it with no problem).
 
*Serves 6-8
INGREDIENTS:
1 tablespoon butter
1 red onion, finely diced
1 red bell pepper, diced
3 ribs celery, diced
6 cloves garlic, minced
7-8 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1 1/2 pounds chicken, cut into 1/2-inch pieces (or use about 3-4 cups of shredded, cooked chicken)
2 sweet potatoes, peeled and diced into 1/2 - inch pieces
1 can (14 oz.) can diced tomatoes, undrained
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 teaspoon dried marjoram
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
3 bay leaves
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon pepper
DIRECTIONS:
In a large pot (4 or 5 quarts), melt butter over medium heat and add onions. Cook, stirring often, about 5-6 minutes, until softened. Add bell pepper, celery, and garlic. Cook 5-6 more minutes, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are tender. Add remaining ingredients (don’t add the cooked chicken, if using, you’ll add it near the end), stir well, and bring to a low boil, reduce heat, and simmer, uncovered, for about 40-45 minutes, until the potatoes are tender and chicken is cooked through. If using cooked chicken, stir it in at this point and let it heat through. Discard bay leaves and serve.

We really liked this soup!

I've been looking up lactogenic foods because I feel like I'm losing my milk (I started taking More Milk Plus - hope it helps). Basil, marjoram, and yams were listed ... a coincidence?

French bread.

1 pkg dry yeast
1 tbsp sugar
1 tbsp soft shortening
1 1/2 cup very warm water
1 1/2 tsp salt
4 cups flour

Dissolve yeast in 1/2 cup water.  Dissolve sugar and salt in remaining 1 cup water in 2 quart bowl.  Add shortening and yeast.  Mix well.  Add flour and stir well.  Cover.  Work through dough with spoon at ten minute intervals for 5 consecutive times.

Turn dough on lightly floured board and divide in half.  Shape into balls and let rest 10 minutes.  Roll each ball into a 9 x 12 inch shape , then roll up like a jelly roll.  Start with long side.  Seal edges.  Place on greases baking sheet.  Score top 6 times diagonally.  Cover with towel and let rise 1 1/2 hours.  Bake at 400° for 30 to 35 minutes.  Brush with butter.

Call Kim For tips

Eggnog

My sister called and asked me for the "Sorensen family eggnog recipe." Aka, the one out of Better Homes and Gardens. :) I thought I'd post it since I had it all typed up. 

1/3 cup sugar 

2 egg yolks

1/4 tsp. salt

4 cups milk

2 egg whites

3 tablespoons sugar 

1 tsp. vanilla

brandy/rum flavoring to taste (I leave this out)

1/2 cup whipping cream, whipped

nutmeg

Beat 1/3 cup sugar into egg yolks. Add salt; stir in milk. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, till mixture coats spoon. cool. Beat eggwhites till foamy. Gradually add 3 tablespoons sugar, beating into soft peaks. Add to custard and mix thoroughly. Add vanilla and flavoring. Chill for 3 or 4 hours. Pour into punch bowl or cups. Dot with "islands" of whipped cream; dash with nutmeg. Serves 6 to 8.

It says till mixture coats spoon, but I don't really know what that means. I just do it till it's good and hot and cooked through. You can cook the nutmeg in with it to add more flavor too.

Remember last year when a girl in Wal-Mart asked me if I wanted to sample her eggnog and in the most snobbish way I said, "No thanks, we make our own." Seriously, I'm still reeling over that one. So embarrassing. 

Christmas Dinner Ideas?

What are you all having for Christmas dinner?
I'm for sure going to make a ham...but what else?

Chicken Stew

Chicken Stew
Adapted from Ina Garten

Ingredients
• 3 whole (6 split) chicken breasts, bone in, skin on
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 5 cups chicken broth
• 2 chicken bouillon cubes
• 12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter
• 2 cups chopped yellow onions (2 onions)
• 3/4 cup flour
• 1/4 cup heavy cream
• 2 cups medium-diced carrots (4 carrots), blanched for 2 minutes
• 1 10-ounce package frozen peas (2 cups)
• 1/2 cup minced fresh parsley

Directions
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
Place the chicken breasts on a sheet pan and rub them with olive oil. Sprinkle
generously with salt and pepper. Roast for 35 to 40 minutes, or until cooked
through. Set aside until cool enough to handle, then remove the meat from the
bones and discard the skin. Cut the chicken into large dice. You will have 4 to 6
cups of cubed chicken.

In a small saucepan, heat the chicken stock and dissolve the bouillon cubes
in the stock. In a large pot or Dutch oven, melt the butter and saute the onions
over medium-low heat for 10 to 15 minutes, until translucent. Add the flour and
cook over low heat, stirring constantly, for 2 minutes. Add the hot chicken stock
to the sauce. Simmer over low heat for 1 more minute, stirring, until thick. Add
2 teaspoons salt, 1/2 teaspoon pepper, and the heavy cream. Add the cubed
chicken, carrots, peas, onions, and parsley. Mix well. Place the stew in a 10 x 13
x 2-inch oval or rectangular baking dish. Place the baking dish on a sheet pan
lined with parchment or wax paper. Bake for 35 minutes or until bubbly.

Note: To make in advance, refrigerate the chicken stew. Bake the stew for 55
minutes or until bubbly.

This recipe is from my friend. I saw that it was from Ina, so I looked up the recipe online to see the difference. Pretty much, my friend just omitted the frozen pearl onions and didn't use the biscuits. Here is the original recipe from Ina. You can pretty much call this Chicken and Biscuits or Chicken Pot Pie. It is soooo good and really quick and easy. I don't know if it's all the butter or what, but it is delicious. It's pretty plain jane, but so yummy. After reading the reviews online, I put in WAY less salt (like 1/2 tsp) in the stew .. but I also don't use unsalted butter ... really, who does? I also only used 1 stick of butter (rather than 1 1/2). I made the biscuits (yum!) and added less salt to them too b/c reviews had said they were too salty. I made my own half and half for the biscuits since the stew used cream ... and i still have cream from Thanksgiving :). I also left out the pearl onions like my friend does. This filled my 9x13 pan to the brim! Makes a lot. I made it on Sunday ... did as the "make ahead" instructions say and just made the "stew" and biscuits before hand, refrigerated them (separately) during church, and then just had to cook it when we got home. Oh, there's a lot of chicken in it, so if you don't have 6 chicken breasts, less would still be plenty.

More Sour Cream Lemon Pie Exposure

On my friend's blog here.

Vegetables

What's your family's favorite and/or most common vegetable dish to make it to the dinner table (and the recipe).

Ours:  

Grilled (or roasted) Asparagus --- evoo, salt, pepper. Grill.
 or
Kim's Carrots and Onions --- in the family cookbook.
 or
Roasted Carrots and Onions --- evoo, salt, pepper, sometimes a little Italian seasoning. Roast.


What's yours?

Grandma Cook's Vanilla Cream Pie

3/4 c sugar

1/3 c flour

1/4 tsp salt

2 c milk

2 slightly beaten eggs

2 tbls butter

1 tsp vanilla

combine flour, sugar, and salt in saucepan.

gradually stir in milk with a whisk.

cook and stir over medium heat until bubbly. cook and stir for 2 min.

remove from heat. temper the eggs. (stir small amount of hot mixture into beaten eggs).

add eggs into hot mixture, cook 2 minutes longer.

remove from heat, add butter and vanilla.

cool slightly then pour into baked cool pie shell. to cool pudding, lay saran wrap on surface and refrigerate.

to make chocolate pie: add 3 tbls of cocoa and 1/4 c sugar to dry ingredients in saucepan.

to make banana cream pie: slice 3 bananas into pie shell, pour pudding over.

to make coconut cream pie: add 1 c coconut flakes to warm pudding

THANKSGIVING!

Here's something fun ... let's all say what we are making for Thanksgiving (and doing) ... since it really is "eat or die" on Thanksgiving day. I'm always interested. I'm sure nobody will participate, but I'm trying this anyway.

We are going to a friend's house and she is pretty much doing everything. But I'm making a turkey breast (bone in) brined in this; she's doing a whole turkey. Gonna cook it in a roasting bag. Also taking a veggie tray and sour cream lemon pie. Yep, that's all I'm responsible for. Kind of nice.

What are YOU making/doing this Thanksgiving?

Pesto

Stop what you are doing and drive straight to Costco and buy this pesto.

 It is so so good. I want to drink it.

Caramel in a Crockpot

Take an unopened can of Sweet and Condensed Milk (regular or non fat),
Put it in the crockpot,
Fill the crockpot with water until the can is completely submerged,
Turn it on low for 8 hours,
Open and use for dippin.

Warning! When you open the can, contents will be under pressure, so keep your face/eyes out of the way of any "spitting". I learned that the hard way.

Meatballs with Sauce on Them

Put a bunch of meatballs in the crockpot (I like the Costco ones),
a cup and a half of salsa,
a cup and a half of grape jelly,
cook on low for a few hours.
I'm not saying this is the most gourmet meal you will ever eat, but it's easy and tasty.

You can serve them over rice, but I've come to realize I don't like rice. It's so weird. I think it has to do with throwing it up while pregnant. (I'm not pregnant).

Emily you could add this to your "grease fest" spread come Christmas.

Chicken and Wild Rice Soup

I know everyone has this recipe, but I want to record it here, so I know where it is.

I. 

    1 cup diced onion

    1 cup diced celery

    2-3 TB butter

        Saute onion and celery in butter using a heavy soup pot.

II.

    Add 1 large can Swanson Chicken Broth (49.5 oz.)

            1 small can Swanson Chicken Broth (14 oz.)

        Bring to a low boil and add 1 cup diced carrots

III.

    Add:  Uncle Ben's Long Grain and Wild Rice (1 - 6 oz. package).  Rice and seasoning packet

        Simmer on low for 20-25 minutes

IV.

    dissolve 2 chicken boullion cubes in 2 cups water.

    Mix in 1 pt. heavy whipping cream

    Add 3/4 cups Wondra Flour

        Add above mixture to soup pot with:

    2 TB flat leaf parsley (or dried parsley)

    1 tsp. ground sage

    a shake of cloves

    2 pinches coarse ground pepper

V.

    Simmer on low until soup thickens - stir often.

VI.

    Add 3 1/2 - 4 cups bite-sized chicken chunks - DO NOT BOIL  AFTER THIS.

Mom's Zucchini Bread

We went to an orchard last week and I picked a million pounds of zucchini. After we ate all we could handle, I made some bread today ... and grated and froze the rest (in 2 cup portions) for zucchini bread later and later and later. Told you I got a million pounds.

Recipe:

Mix 1 c sugar, 1 c brown sugar, 3 eggs, 1 c oil.  Add 2 c grated zucchini, 3 T vanilla.  Mix in 2 1/4 c flour, 1 t baking soda, 1/4 t baking powder, 3 t cinnamon, 1/2 c nuts.  Bake at 350* for 1 hour. Makes two regular size loaves.

This is the most delicious zucchini bread I've ever had. The brown sugar and all that vanilla ... yum! Next I'm going to try Nettie's Cranberry Nut Bread (in the family cookbook).

White Bean Chili

2-3 chicken breast cooked, chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
1 can chicken broth
2 cans white beans rinsed
1 can (4 oz) chopped green chilies

1 1/2 tsp. powdered garlic
1-2 dashes cayenne pepper
1 tsp. cumin
1 tsp. oregano

1 tsp. salt
1/4-1/2 tsp. pepper

20 mins before serving add:
1 c. sour cream (best if you use regular, not light)

Handful of chopped cilantro

Throw it all into the crockpot. Cook on low 5ish hours. 

I love it with cornbread.
Jimi calls it "albino chili"