Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup

From Grandma Pat Billington.

1 whole chicken
1 lg onion, chopped
1 C chopped celery
1 C chopped carrots
2 Tbsp chicken bouillon granules
1/2 tsp black pepper, salt to taste
2 quarts water
1 pkg frozen noodles, cut in half
2 Tbsp parsley flakes
1/2 tsp lemon thyme

Wash chicken and place in a large kettle with onion, celery, carrots, bouillon, salt and pepper. Add enough cold water to just cover. Simmer 1 1/2 hours until chicken is tender. Remove chicken from broth. When cool, debone and discard skin. Return cut chicken to broth. Add parsley, lemon thyme and noodles. Simmer until noodles are tender. Add more salt and pepper if desired. Makes 3 quarts.

*The secret is the lemon thyme. If you can't find lemon thyme mixture, use lemon pepper and add thyme.

Grandma's Oatmeal Cookies

3 eggs, beaten
1 C raisins
1 tsp vanilla
Combine and let stand one hour.

1 C shortening
1 C brown sugar
1 C sugar
2 1/2 C sifted flour
1 tsp salt
2 tsp soda
1 tsp cinnamon
2 C oats
1/2 C chopped nuts

Cream shortening and sugars. Sift dry ingredients into sugar mixture and combine. Blend in raisin mixture--then the oats and nuts. (dough will be stiff) Roll into balls, flatten between hands, and place on baking sheet. 350* 10-12 minutes.

Maple Glazed Pork Tenderloin

From Miquelle Mickelsen

 2 pork tenderloins, abut 1 1/4 lb each (tenderloins are usually sold 2 in a package)
3/4 cup maple syrup (the real stuff)
1/4 cup molasses
1/8 tsp cinnamon
1/8 tsp ground cloves
pinch of cayenne
1/4 cup cornstarch
2 Tbsp sugar
1 Tbsp salt
2 tsp ground black pepper
2 Tbsp vegetable oil
1 tsp whole-grain mustard

Preheat oven to 375*. Stir 1/2 cup maple syrup, molasses, cinnamon, cloves and cayenne together in a small bowl and set aside. Whisk cornstarch, sugar, slat and pepper in a small bowl. Transfer cornstarch mixture to rimmed baking sheet. Pat tenderloins dry with a paper towel, then roll in cornstarch mixture until evenly coated on all sides. Thoroughly pat off excess cornstarch mixture.

Heat oil in 12-inch nonstick skillet over med-high heat. Reduce to medium heat and place both tenderloins in skillet, leaving at least 1 inch between. Cook until well browned on all sides, 8-12 minutes. Transfer tenderloins to wire rack set in rimmed baking sheet.

Return skillet to medium heat. Add syrup mixture to skillet, scraping up browned bits with a wooden spoon and cook until reduced to 1/2 cup, about 2 minutes. Transfer 2 Tbsp of glaze to a small bowl and set aside. Using remaining glaze, brush each tenderloin with about 1 Tbsp glaze. Place in oven and cook until meat thermometer reads 140 degrees (15-20 min). Brush each tenderloin with another Tbsp of glaze and continue cooking until meat thermometer reaches about 155 degrees. Remove tenderloins. Brush each with remaining glaze and let rest 10 minutes.

While tenderloins rest, stir remaining 1/4 cup maple syrup and mustard into reserved 2 Tbsp glaze. Serve with tenderloin.

Pot Stickers (Williams-Sonoma style)

1/4 cup dried shiitake mushrooms
2 cups finely chopped napa cabbage
1/2 tsp salt
1/4-1/2 lb ground pork
1/2 cup minced fresh garlic chives (I have never found these, but green onion tops work really well)
1 tbsp light soy sauce
1 tbsp sesame oil
1 1/2 tsp rice wine
1 1/2 tsp peeled and minced fresh ginger
1 clove garlic, minced
1 1/2 tbsp cornstarch
1/8 tsp ground white pepper
45 wonton wrappers
4 tbsp canola or peanut oil
1 cup low-sodium chicken broth

Soak the dried mushrooms in warm water to cover for 30 minutes (rehydrate). Squeeze out excess liquid, remove stems and mince the caps.
In a large bowl, toss together the cabbage and salt and let stand for 30 minutes to leach out water from the cabbage. Using your hands, wring out as much water from the cabbage as possible. Put the cabbage in a clean bowl. Add mushrooms, pork, garlic chives, soy sauce, sesame oil, rice wine, ginger, garlic, cornstarch, and white pepper and, using a rubber spatula, mix vigorously to combine the ingredients well.
To fill each pot sticker, place a wonton wrapper on a work surface and brush the edges with water; keep the other wrappers covered with a slightly damp cloth to prevent them from drying out. Plae 1 teaspoon filling in the center of the wrapper, fold wrapper in half to enclose the filling, and pleat the outer edge. Place the finished pot sticker on a lightly floured baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining filling and wrappers.
Preheat the oven to 250*. In a large nonstick frying pan over med-high heat, heat 1 tbsp of the oil. Add 10-12 pot stickers, floured bottom down and in a single layer. Sear until bottoms are golden brown, 3-4 minutes., Pour 1/4 cup of the broth into the pan, cover, and let steam until all the broth evaporates, the pot stickers are tender but still firm, and the filling is cooked through, 4-5 minutes. Transfer to a platter, cover with aluminum foil, and keep warm in the oven. Cook the remaining pot stickers and broth in 3 more batches.
Serve hot with dipping sauce.

Ginger-Soy Dipping Sauce
5 tbsp rice vinegar
1/4 cup light soy sauce
2 tbsp dark soy sauce
3 tbsp water
1 1/2 tbsp sugar
1 tbsp sesame oil
1 tsp sriracha chile sauce
1 tbsp peeled and minced fresh ginger
2 tsp minced garlic
2 tsp red jalapeno chile, seeded and thinly sliced on the diagonal

Bulgarian Musaka

One of Beau's Bulgarian colleagues at U of R shared his mother's Mousaka recipe with us. It was a tricky translation as she doesn't speak much English, but I'll be experimenting with it to get it right!

Musaka

Ingredients
1 kilo kaima (ground pork & beef)
5-6 potatoes
1 onion
2 tablespoons tomato sauce
3 tablespoons oil
1 tablespoon red pepper
1 tablespoon parsley
1 tablespoon cumin seeds
pinch of black pepper
salt to taste

Ingredients for topping
1 egg
1-2 tablespoons yogurt
2 tablespoons milk
1 tablespoon flour
pinch of salt

Directions
Cut the onion and potatoes separately into small cubes. Stew the onion with the oil and a bit of water at medium temperature. Add the potatoe cubes, tomato sauce and red pepper to the onion and stew, stirring for 5-7 minutes.
Turn burner off, leaving the pot on the burner. Add the kaima (meat) and stir. Add the parsley, black pepper and salt and stir. Add one big tea cup of water.
Put into baking dish and bake at 350F. Check periodically to see if it is done. When it is done, prepare the topping.

Break the egg and add some yogurt, flour, milk and salt. Put this mixture onto the baked musaka and use a spoon to cover the whole thing. Bake again until the topping is nicely baked.

Cut into slices and serve with a side of yogurt, if desired.

Bon appetit!

Beef Bulgogi

I went plunging the depths of my sister-in-law Tamara's blog today to find this recipe. I just liked it that much the first time I made it, I guess, so I'll just poach it and put it here where I can quickly find it next time!

2 lb beef top sirloin, thinly sliced

4 cloves garlic, minced

½ Asian pear or ¼ kiwi—peeled, cored and minced (not optional. This acts as a meat tenderizer.)

4 green onions, thinly sliced

½ cup soy sauce

4 Tbsp sugar

2 Tbsp sesame oil

4 Tbsp rice wine or Korean cooking wine

1 Tbsp sesame seeds

1 tsp minced fresh ginger or 1/8 tsp ginger powder

1 tsp freshly ground black pepper

In a large Ziploc bag, combine beef with all other ingredients. Seal and refrigerate for 2 hours. Preheat grill pan over medium heat. Brush oil over grill pan, and add beef. Cook, turning to brown evenly, until done.

Serve with rice, wrapped in romaine lettuce leaves (much like a taco shell).

Spicy Cheese Ball

4 oz cream cheese
2 1/2 cups shredded cheddar
1 Tbsp milk
1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
2 Tbsp chopped green onion
Tabasco sauce to taste
1/4 tsp garlic powder
cracked black pepper

Combine ingredients and roll in cracked pepper. Chill.

Pineapple Cheese Ball

16 oz. cream cheese
3 tsp finely chopped onion
1/4 cup finely chopped bell pepper
or in place of onion and bell pepper 1/4 cup chopped green onion
1 tsp seasoned salt
1 small can crushed pineapple, drained well
1 cup chopped pecans

Mix together and roll in chopped nuts. Best if chilled overnight.

Jamaican Jerk Chicken

6 Boneless skinless chicken breasts
4-6 Tbs lime juice
1 cup water
2 tsp allspice
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp salt
1 cup brown sugar
1 tsp ground ginger
1 1/2 tsp black pepper
2 onions, chopped
6 cloves of garlic, chopped
1 can diced chilies (4 oz)

Place chicken in crockpot.
Mix the rest of the ingredients and pour over the chicken.
Cook on low for 6-8 hours.
Shred the chicken at about the halfway point so it can soak up all the juice.
Serve over rice.

Massaged Kale and Currant Salad

My new favorite salad of all time! Big thanks to Rebecca Garrison for introducing me to it. I'd never had Kale before, unless it's the green stuff in Olive Garden's Zuppa Toscana... but I think that's escarole. I guess I'm not all that familiar with my green leafy vegetables! I liked this so well though, I think I'll even grow it in my next garden!

Prep time: 15 minutes
Makes 6 servings

1 bunch kale (9-10 good sized leaves)
1 teaspoon sea salt
1/4 c diced red onion
1/3 c currants
3/4 c diced apple (about 1/2 apple)
1/3 sunflower seeds, toasted
1/4 c olive oil
2 tablespoons unfiltered apple cider vinegar
1/3 c gorgonzola cheese, crumbled

Destem kale by pulling leaves away from the stems. Wash leaves. Spin/pat dry. Stack leaves, roll up, and cut in thin ribbons. Put kale in a large mixing bowl. Add salt, & massage it into the kale with your hands for two minutes.

Stir onion, currants, apple, and sunflower seeds into kale. Dress with oil and vinegar. Taste for salt and vinegar, adding more if necessary. When at desired flavor, toss in cheese, This salad will keep for several days and still be great!

Blue Ribbon Apple Pie

1 recipe double-crust pie dough

2 1/2 pounds (about 5) firm tart apples, peeled, cored, and sliced 1/4-inch thick
2 1/2 pounds (about 5) firm, sweet apples, peeled, cored and sliced 1/4-inch thick
1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
1/4 cup packed light brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon grated fresh lemon zest
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
1 egg white, beaten lightly

Roll one disk of pie dough into a 12-inch circle and fit into a 9-inch pie plate, letting the excess dough hang over the edge. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes. Roll the other disk of dough into a 12-inch circle on a lightly floured surface and transfer to a parchment-lined baking sheet; cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes also.

Toss the apples, 1/2 cup of the sugar, brown sugar, zest, salt, and cinnamon together in a large bowl. Transfer the apples to a large pot or Dutch oven and cover, cooking over medium heat and stirring frequently, until the apples are tender when poked with a fork but are not mushy (don’t over cook because the apples will finish cooking and softening up in the oven!), about 10 minutes.

Transfer the apples and their juice to a rimmed baking sheet and let cool to room temperature, about 30 minutes.

Set an oven rack in the lowest position and preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Drain the cooled apples thoroughly in a colander, reserving 1/4 cup of the juice. Stir the lemon juice into the reserved 1/4 cup of apple juice.

Spread the apples into the dough-lined pie plate, mounding them slightly in the middle, and drizzle with the lemon juice mixture. Loosely roll the second piece of dough around the rolling pin and gently unroll it over the pie. Crimp the edges together. Cut 4 vent gashes in the top of the pie. Brush the crust with the egg white and sprinkle with the remaining one tablespoon sugar.

Place the pie on a foil-lined baking sheet and bake until the crust is golden, about 25 minutes. Reduce the oven temperature to 375 degrees and continue to bake until the juices are bubbling and the crust is deep golden brown, about 25-30 minutes longer. Let the pie cool on a wire rack until the filling has set, about 2 hours. Serve slightly warm or at room temperature.

Easy No-Fail Pie Crust

2 cups flour
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons sugar
1 cup Crisco shortening (butter-flavored or regular, I prefer regular)

Mix the above ingredients with your hands to form a uniform mixture.

Add 1/3 cup ice water.

Dip your hands in flour so they won’t get too sticky (although it will still be messy). Mix the ice water in to the shortening/flour mixture with your hands. Roll into a round ball (the dough will resemble a sugar cookie dough). Divide in half and on a lightly floured surface roll into two circles. Bake according to pie directions. Recommended: chill dough before rolling out.

From Mel's Kitchen Cafe, adapted from America's Test Kitchen.

Spaghetti alla Carbonara

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
6 ounces thickly sliced pancetta, cut into 1/4-inch pieces
2 tablespoons kosher salt
1 pound spaghetti
3 large eggs plus 1 egg yolk, well beaten
3/4 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano combined with 1/4 cup grated Pecorino Romano
3/4 cup of boiling pasta water
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

1. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat until it ripples. Add the pancetta and cook, stirring often, until crisp. Slide the pan off the heat and set aside.

2. Bring 6 quarts of water to a boil in a large pot. Add the salt and the spaghetti, stirring often to prevent the pasta from clumping, and cook until al dente. Drain, reserving the 3/4 cup of pasta water, and return the spaghetti while it’s very hot to the pan. Set over very low heat. Immediately add the eggs, half of the cheese, the reserved pancetta, and any rendered fat, and toss well. Add just enough of the pasta water to make the mixture lusciously creamy. Sprinkle generously with pepper and serve at once. Pass the remaining cheese at the table.

*We prefer linguini to spaghetti in this recipe. It's Beau's specialty--I've never had to make it myself!

From David Leite at www.leitesculinaria.com.

Fresh Salsa

8-10 large fresh tomatoes
4-6 fresh serrano peppers, or a few jalapenos
1 bunch cilantro
1 bunch green onions
1 large bell pepper
1 lime, juiced
1 can El Pato salsa
1 can chopped green chilies
2 tsp. cumin
1/2 tsp garlic powder
salt to taste

Yummy!

Recipe from Mom!

Salsa (for bottling)

2 gallons tomatoes, peeled and quartered
4-6 large green peppers
4-6 large red/yellow peppers
4-6 large onions
1 bunch cilantro
2 cups white vinegar
1 tsp cayenne pepper
2 Tbsp sugar
1/2 cup canning salt
1 Tbsp cumin
1/2 Tbsp garlic powder
1/2 Tbsp chili powder
2 cans (4 oz) chopped green chilies
3-5 chopped jalapenos (take out the seeds for less heat)


Place the cut and peeled tomatoes into a colander (or a couple of them), layering with the salt. Place the colander inside of a large bowl, on top of a small inverted dish, to let the liquid drain from the tomatoes as it's pulled out by the salt. Let drain for 2-4 hours.

In a large stock pot, cook everything together until thickened (2 hours), stirring periodically. Skim off liquid--can save and bottle it for soup base. For a smoother salsa, put it through the blender (carefully, it's hot!) in batches. Process in water bath 15-20 minutes for pints, 20-25 minutes for quarts.



Recipe adapted from Katie Christensen

Creamy Chicken with Biscuits

3/4 lb carrots, cut into chunks
2 stalks celery, thinly sliced
1 onion, chopped
1 cup sliced mushrooms (optional)
1/4 cup flour
2 lbs chicken
1/2 tsp poultry seasoning
salt and pepper
1/2 dry white wine
1/2 cup low sodium chicken broth
1 cup frozen peas
1/2 cup heavy cream

In a 4- to 6-quart slow cooker, toss together the carrots, celery, onion and flour. Place the chicken on top and season with poultry seasoning, salt and pepper. (depending on the cut of chicken you're using, you may want to cut it up or plan to debone it once it has cooked.)

Cover and cook until the chicken and vegetables are tender, on low for 5-6 hours.

Thirty minutes before serving, prepare biscuits (recipe below).

Ten minutes before serving, add the peas, cream, and salt to taste. Cover and cook until heated through. (if the cream doesn't thicken it as much as I like, I thicken it with a little more flour and cold water)

To serve, place the bottom halves of the biscuits in shallow bowls, then top with the chicken mixture and the remaining biscuit halves.

For Drop Biscuits:
2 cups flour
1/2 cup cold butter, cut into pieces
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup whole milk (2% worked fine)

Heat oven to 400*. In a food processor, combine first four ingredients; pulse until pea-sized clumps form. Add the milk and pulse just until moistened.

Drop 6 large mounds of the dough onto a baking sheet. Bake until golden, about 20 minutes.

From "Real Simple" magazine

Brigham City Peach Cobbler: From The Essential Mormon Cookbook

¾ C packed brown sugar

1 ½ T cornstarch

½ C water

1 tsp almond extract

4 cups peeled and sliced fresh peaches (or combination of peaches and raspberries)

1 T lemon juice

1 T butter

1 C flour

2 T sugar

1 ½ tsp baking powder

¼ tsp salt

¼ cup butter

1 egg, slightly beaten

¼ C milk

Ice cream or whipped cream (optional)

For filling, in a saucepan combine brown sugar and cornstarch. Stir in water. Cook and stir until thickened and bubbly. Add almond extract. Stir in peaches, lemon juice, and the 1 T butter; heat through and keep warm while preparing topping.

For topping, stir together flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Cut in the ¼ C butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. In a separate bowl combine eggs and milk; add all at once to flour mixture, stirring just to moisten. Turn hot filling into a greased 2-quart casserole. Immediately spoon on topping in 6 mounds. Bake at 400* for 20-24 minutes. Makes six servings.

Pumpkin Chip Muffins

4 eggs

2 C sugar

16 oz can pumpkin

1 ½ C canola oil

3 C flour

2 tsp baking soda

2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp salt

2 C semisweet chocolate chips

In a large mixing bowl, beat eggs, sugar, pumpkin and oil until smooth. Combine flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon and salt; add to pumpkin mixture, mix well. Fold in chocolate chips. Fill greased or paper-lined muffin cups ¾ full. 400* 16-20 minutes. Yields 24.

*1 ½ cups is a lot of oil! I've reduced it to 1 cup with pretty good results. I've also tried substituting apple sauce in different amounts, but they are really best with at least ¾ cup oil.

Bethanie's Best Cookies EVER!

1 c softened butter
1 c white sugar
1 c brown sugar
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla
3 c flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons hot water
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 c chocolate chips / white chocolate chips / peanut butter chips / nuts / whatever you want!

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Add butter and sugars together.
3. Add eggs and vanilla after that.
4. Dissolve baking soda in hot water, then add to mix.
5. Add salt and flour.
6. Add chips.
7. Put little balls on ungreased cookie sheet and bake for 12 minutes!

*I like with a little more salt, and my favorite chip combo (so far) is 1 cup white chocolate, 1 1/2 cup semisweet chocolate, and 1/2 cup butterscotch. Bake for more like 14 minutes in my oven.

Bulgarian Tarator

*1 large english cucumber, or 2 small, finely diced (I like a little of the peel in mine for the green color, but take it all off if you prefer!)
*4 cups plain yogurt (quality counts, we like Stoneybrook brand, but anything with bulgaricus cultures is usually good)
*2 large cloves of garlic, pressed
*1 TBSP olive oil
*1/4 tsp salt
*1/2 tsp dried dill (or a couple TBSP of fresh)
*1/2 cup (or so) cold water
*chopped walnuts

Remove the seeds from the cucumbers before dicing. Also remove any liquid on top of the yogurt. Combine with garlic, oil, salt and dill. Add cold water until it reaches a creamy, but not thick consistency. 1/2 cup is usually enough. Best if chilled for a couple of hours. Sprinkle lightly with chopped walnuts before serving.

Chocolate Souffle Cakes

Room-temperature butter and unsweetened cocoa powder for the ramekins
1/2 cup butter
8 oz bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped (use only the GOOD stuff!)
4 eggs, at room temperature (important to get the right consistency)
1/3 cup sugar
3 T flour
confectioners sugar for sprinkling

Brush six 5-6 ounce ramekins with room-temp butter. Sift cocoa powder over a sheet of parchment paper, pour the powder into one of the ramekins, and turn it until the inside is coated. Pour the excess cocoa powder into the next ramekin and repeat until all have been coated.
Combine the butter and chocolate in a heatproof bowl set over a saucepan of simmering water. Stir with a whisk or spatula until melted and smooth. Remove from heat.
Combine eggs and sugar and beat on high speed with a stand mixer for about 5 minutes or with a hand mixer for about 25 minutes, or until the ribbon stage: when the beater is lifted, the mixture falls in a wide band onto the surface, forming a figure eight that stays for 5 seconds before dissolving.
Pour egg mixture over the chocolate mixture and fold with a rubber spatula while sifting the flour over the mixture, one tablespoon at a time. Fold until the flour is no longer visible.
Transfer the mixture to the prepared ramekins and smooth the tops. Cover with plastic wrap and freeze for at least 2 hours. Preheat the oven to 425*. Bake the souffle cakes for 17-20 minutes, until risen by almost half. Sprinkle with confectioners sugar and serve. If you want to unmold the cakes, run a knife around the inside edge of the ramekins. Turn the cakes over onto plates, lift off the ramekins, and sprinkle with confectioners sugar. Serve warm.