Soup #1 - Easy Potato-Corn Chowder

 The Year of Soup

Soup #1 - Easy Potato Corn Chowder

    So, this was a fun recipe. The recipe "Speedy Potato Chowder" is in the Favorite Recipes, Campbell's Creative Cooking With Soup (Over 8,000 Delicious Mix and Match Recipes. The recipe gives you four ingredients and then you select a liquid, canned vegetable and a meat from a chart. For the liquid, I chose milk. For the vegetable, I chose corn. And, for the meat, I chose to use diced potato in lieu of meat. I did also add salt, pepper and paprika to mine. 

   By the way, liquid options were beer & water, milk, milk & light cream and evaporated milk & water. Vegetable options were mixed vegetables, corn, Lima beans and diced carrots. The meat options were hotdogs, chicken, ham and tuna. 

      I'll write out the recipe how I made it. I really enjoyed this chowder. I hope you try it!

Ingredients:

4 slices bacon, diced (feel free to use more)

1/2 cup chopped onion (I used about 1/2 of a medium onion)

2 1/2 cups milk (I used more liquid than the recipe suggests)

1 10 3/4 oz can condensed cream of potato soup

1 15oz can whole kernel corn (The original recipe suggests using an 8oz can; I used low salt)

1 medium russet potato, diced

2 tbsps chopped fresh parsley, plus more for decoration if you wish

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 tsp paprika

1/8 tsp black pepper

Directions:

In a 3qt saucepan over medium heat, heat a tiny bit of oil and add bacon. Cook until crisp. Remove bacon with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels. You can drain the bacon drippings, reserving 1 tbsp. I did not, because I only had a little more than a tbsp. Add the chopped onion and diced potato to the drippings and cook until the potato is somewhat tender; you don't want it super tender, because you're going to keep cooking and that will make it tender. Add milk, corn with it's liquid, the bacon, parsley, salt, pepper and paprika. Cook on low-medium heat until heated through, stirring occasionally. Makes 4 to 6 servings. 

Easy Potato-Corn Chowder

Easy Potato-Corn Chowder

Casserole #15 - Lemonchick's Tater Tot Breakfast Casserole

 The Year of Casseroles

Casserole #15 - Lemonchick's Tater Tot Breakfast Casserole

    So, I've had a lot going on, and I finally just this morning, made casserole number 15. Overall, it has just not been a good year and not a good year for the blog either. Part of the reason is that I feel as if I am writing this only for myself. If you see this and try this or any of my other recipes, please let me know. It would make me happy and feel like someone out there is paying attention. 

    This is a recipe of my own creation, and I hope you like it. Substitute diced potatoes for the tater tots if you like.  You can also use turkey sausage, hot/mild/maple sausage (I used hot sausage). It's okay if you don't do the layers exactly as I wrote below; mix it up! I'm very, happy with how this turned out, and I hope you love it. 

Ingredients:

1/2 lb sausage, browned and crumbled

1/3 cup finely chopped onion

1/3 cup diced tomato (canned or fresh)

1/4 cup diced pickled jalapeno (or fresh)

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper

1/4 tsp paprika

1/4 tsp chili powder (or your favorite spicy seasoning)

1 1/4 cups shredded cheddar or Monterrey Jack cheese (divided use)

7 or 8 eggs

1/8 cup to 1/4 cups milk

16 tater tots

Directions:

Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees F. Bake tater tots until crispy. In a large skillet, begin browning sausage. Chop onion and dice the jalapeno. Add onion and jalapeno to sausage. Sprinkle salt, pepper and chili powder (if desired) to mixture in skillet. In a medium sized bowl, beat eggs with milk and add paprika. Spray a 1 1/2 quart casserole dish with cooking spray. Layer half of the tater tots in casserole and spoon sausage mixture on top. Sprinkle 1 cup of cheese over top of this layer, and add the rest of the tater tots. Pour egg mixture over all. Sprinkle the 1/4 cup cheese on the top. Bake for about 30 minutes and cover the casserole with foil to help prevent further browning. Cook for about 15 more minutes, until egg mixture is completly cooked. Remove from oven, cool slightly and serve. 

Tater Tot Casserole

Tater Tot Casserole

Charley The Muffin Man watching me take pics of this Tater Tot Casserole. 

Uh-oh, Charley The Muffin Man is getting closer to the Tater Tot Casserole

Casserole #13 - Lemonchick's Scalloped Potato Casserole

 The Year of Casseroles

Casserole #13 - Lemonchick's Scalloped Potato Casserole

    This is my recipe. Feel free to adjust seasonings as you like. This is a version of a scalloped potato casserole that my mother used to make when I was growing up. My mother didn't like much spice (I like spice though), so I mostly grew up without a lot of seasoning in food. My mother also would not have used garlic salt (she'd have used regular) and would not have added onion, like I did. The Pyrex casserole dish I used is a copy of the one my mother had and it brings back a lot of memories. This is comfort food for me. I hope you try this casserole and that you love it!

Ingredients:

3 medium potatoes, washed, peeled and cubed

1 cup ham, chunked (You can leave this out if you are vegetarian)

1/2 cup onion, chopped (Optional)

1/2 cup green pepper, chopped (Optional)

1 1/4 cups shredded or cubed cheese; use your favorite combination of cheddar, Monterrey Jack or mozzarella, divided use

1 recipe medium white sauce (below)

White Sauce:

1/4 cup butter or margarine

1/4 cup flour

2 cups milk, heated (I heat mine in the microwave for two minutes)

1/2 tsp salt 

1/8 tsp pepper

White Sauce Directions:

In a medium saucepan, melt butter on low heat. Blend in flour, letting it get bubbly, before slowly adding the heated milk. Stir constantly until thickened. For this casserole, mix in 1 cup cheese and stir until melted. 

Directions:

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees F. Fill a large pan with water and add potato chunks. Bring to a boil and cook until potatoes are fork tender; adding the onion to the potatoes for the last about five minutes.  Drain potatoes and onion and return to pan. Add ham. Pour cheese sauce over top and stir until all of the potato and ham mixture is covered. Lightly grease a 2 1/2 qt casserole dish. Pour potato mixture into casserole. Sprinkle the remaining 1/4 cup of shredded cheese over top. Bake for 30 minutes. Remove and cool for a few minutes, before serving. Serve with a side salad or your favorite vegetable as a side. 

Casserole #13 - Scalloped Potato Casserole

Recipe Roulette - Recipe #1: Blitz Torte

 Recipe Roullette - Recipe #1

Blitz Torte

    A fun, new idea I had this week, was to play "Recipe Roullette". Recipe Roullette will be cracking open a cookbook and picking a recipe from whatever pages the book opens to. Exceptions will include recipes with shellfish (I've got an allergy), organ meats, anything more "exotic" than bison and if the recipes are too complicated, because I generally do not like recipes which are complicated. Anyhow, Blitz Tortes consist of a dense, yellow/vanilla cake baked with a layer of merengue. It is topped with cinnamon and slivered almonds. I guess most Bliz Tortes have all of the filling in between the two layers, but I decided to put a bit on top and sprinkle with more almonds. I also used almond extract instead of vanilla extract in the filling. I thought it was pretty good. The recipe I used is in my 1964 copy of the American Woman's Cook Book. My copy was given to someone named Lucy May, by a lady named Lucia on August 4, 1965. I assume Lucy May got married and this cookbook was a bridal gift. It does not look like it was used very, often, as it is in really good condition for a book which is sixty years old. 

Although there were a few steps, I am really glad I made this. I do want to note that the recipe calls for cooking the filling over boiling water (as in a double boiler). I did not do this. I simply used a medium sauce pan, and made sure to not burn the milk. The filling turned out great. I also did not blanch the almonds as the original recipe says to do; I liked it just fine without blanching them. I never do great with merengue, and I didn't feel like mine made little peaks, but it also turned out fine. Try this recipe and let me know what you think.  My modifications are in italics. 

Cake Ingredients:

1/2 cup shortening

1/2 cup sugar

1/8 tsp salt

4 egg yolks

1 tsp vanilla

3 tbsps milk

1 cup cake flour, sifted

1 tsp baking powder

4 egg whites

3/4 cup sugar

3/4 cup slivered almonds, blanched

1 tbsp sugar

1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

Cream Filling Ingredients:

1/3 cup sugar

3 tbsps corn starch

1/4 tsp salt

2 egg yolks

2 tbsps butter, softened

2 cups milk, scalded

1 tsp vanilla or almond extract

Cake Directions:

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Cream shortening. Gradually add sugar and salt and cream until fluffy. Add egg yolks one at a time, beating well in between additions. Sift flour and baking powder in a separate bowl. Stir flour mixture into the creamed mixture, alternating with the 3 tbsps of milk, and finishing with the vanilla. Spread this thick mixture into two 9-inch greased and lightly floured cake pans (do the bottom and the sides) Beat egg whites until soft peaks form and gradually add sugar. Beat until peaks "round over gently". Spread merengue over the batter in the pans. Sprinkle with 1/2 cup slivered almonds. Bake for 30 minutes. Remove from oven and cool on wire racks before removing gently from pans. Finish cooling cakes on wire racks. To complete the dessert, place one cake on a plate and spread cream filling on top, and gently placing the second cake on top. Optional: Reserve about 1 cup of cream filling; place the second cake on top of the first layer and spread the reserved filling on top. Sprinkle with the additional 1/4 cup slivered almonds. 

Cream Filling Directions: In a bowl, combine sugar, cornstarch, salt and egg yolks, beating thoroughly. Add butter and a little bit of milk, stirring to make a smooth paste. Pour the rest of the hot milk into a medium saucepan or top of a double boiler. Add the paste to the hot milk and stir constantly until the mixture thickens (If you are using a double boiler, you need to have boiling water and the bottom part). Remove from heat and cool thoroughly before adding vanilla or almond extract. Optional: 1/2 cup additional  slivered almonds or 1/2 to 3/4 cups blueberries.

Blitz Torte Layer Without Filling

Blitz Torte

Blitz Torte (Sorry for the shadow in the photo)

Treasure Bran Muffins

Charley The Muffin Man 

Muffin #2 - Treasure Bran Muffins

    I have a friend visiting from out of town and made these for breakfast. I thought they turned out pretty yummy, even though I accidentally put two eggs in the batter, and I would definitely make these again. The recipe is in the Philadelphia Brand Cream Cheese Cookbook, published in 1981. The original recipe calls for raisins, but you could substitute cream cheese. It also doesn't call for nuts, but a small amount of finely chopped nuts would work.  My modification is in italics. 

Ingredients: 

1 1/4 cups bran cereal (I used bran flakes which I crushed up a bit)

1 cup milk

1/4 cup oil (I used vegetable oil, but you could use canola oil

1 egg

1 1/4 cups flour

1/2 cup sugar

1 tbsp baking powder

 1/2 tsp salt

1/2 cup raisins or dried cranberries

8 oz cream cheese (Philadelphia brand or whatever brand you have)

1/4 cup sugar

1 egg

Directions:

Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees. In a mixing bowl place your bran flakes and pour the milk over top. Soak for two minutes. Add oil and add, mixing well.  Add flour, 1/2 cup sugar, baking powder and salt. Mix until just moistened. I combined all of my dry ingredients in a small bowl and mixed them in all at the same time. Fold in the raisins and spoon batter into greased and floured muffin pan, filling each cup about 2/3 full. In a medium sized bowl, blend the cream cheese, 1/4 cup sugar and one egg, until well combined. Drop tablespoons full of the cream cheese mixture on the batter in each cup (I put more than a tablespoon and still had cream cheese mixture leftover). Bake for twenty-five minutes. Remove from oven, cool slightly, remove from pan and serve. 

Treasure Bran Muffins

Casserole #12 - Ham and Noodle Casserole

 The Year of Casseroles

Casserole #12 - Ham and Noodle Casserole

    I really loved this casserole from Treasured Southern Family Recipes, published in 1966.  I added garlic powder, a sprinkle of parsley flakes and had to use cream of chicken soup in lieu of cream of mushroom soup. I'm happy to say that the cream of chicken soup worked really well with this.  I used macaroni noodles, but you could use rigatoni, bow-tie, or egg noodles. My modifications will be in italics. 

Ingredients:

2 tsps salt

4 oz noodles (macaroni, egg, bow-tie or try your favorite)

water

2 tbsps butter

1/4 cup chopped onion (I used closer to 1/2 cup, because I wanted to)

1/4 cup chopped green pepper

1 1/4 cups diced, cooked ham

1 can condensed cream of mushroom soup (I used cream of chicken and it was good)

1/2 cup milk

1 tbsp chopped pimento

1/4 tsp pepper

1/2 tsp garlic powder

parsley for decoration, if desired

1/2 cup grated cheese (the original recipe says American cheese; I used Monterrey Jack)

Directions:

Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees. Fill a large pot about half full with water. Bring to a boil and add salt and noodles. Boil rapidly until al dente. Remove from heat and let stand for a few minutes while you finish with the other ingredients. While heating water to boil, melt butter in a saucepan. Add onion and green pepper and cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the ham and cook for 5 more minutes, stirring occasionally. Heat soup with milk, ensuing they are well combined. Stir in pepper, pimento and garlic powder. Thoroughly drain noodles and return to saucepan. Pour soup mixture over noodles, add ham and veggie mixture and stir until well combined. Pour mixture into lightly greased 1 1/2 quart casserole dish. Sprinkle with grated cheese, place in oven and bake for 20 minutes. Remove from oven and cool for 20 minutes or so. Serves 4 - 6.

Ham and Noodle Casserole

Ham and Noodle Casserole

Charley The Muffin Man is so jealous!

Casserole #11 - Beef and Cheese Bake

 The Year of Casseroles

Casserole #11 - Beef and Cheese Bake

    I am so far behind on posting in general and behind in posting this recipe as well. I made this casserole two weeks ago. The recipe is from Better Home and Gardens - Jiffy Cooking cookbook published in 1967.  It's nice that none of the recipes in this cookbook are difficult or time consuming. 

    I modified this recipe by adding rice, because I forgot the casserole had the biscuit topper and while I liked the finished casserole, I would leave the rice out next time.  You may ask "Kathy, how did you forget that this casserole had a biscuit topper?". The answer is that I am currently job searching and dealing with stress from that. So, I just simply forgot.  

Other changes I made, were not adding olives, using ground turkey in place of beef and adding a couple teaspoons of pimento. Feel free to substitute ground turkey or ground pork in your dish.  

I liked this recipe and would make it again.

Ingredients:

1 1/2 lbs ground beef or ground turkey/ground pork

1/2 cup chopped onion

1 8-oz package cream cheese, softened

1/4 cup milk

1 10 1/2-oz can condensed cream of mushroom soup

1/3 cup ripe olives, sliced (optional)

2 tsp pimento (optional)

1/4 cup ketchup

1 tsp salt

1 package refrigerated biscuits

1 tablespoon butter (optional)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Brown ground beef with onion in large skillet. Blend cream cheese and milk. Stir in soup, ketchup, salt, pimento and olives (if using either). Combine with the meat and onion mixture. Pour into a 2-quart casserole dish (I used a round casserole dish which may have been larger; I'm giving you the size the original recipe mentions). Bake for 30 minutes and remove. Separate biscuits and arrange on top of the casserole. Return to oven and bake for 15 minutes or until biscuits are browned on top. Remove from oven and spread butter over the biscuits.  Serves 6 to 8. 

Beef and Cheese Bake

Beef and Cheese Bake

Casserole #9 - Wild Rice Casserole

 The Year of Casseroles

Casserole #9 - Wild Rice Casserole

    Casseroles can be main dishes, but can also be great side dishes. This side dish casserole is from Noted Cookery - Favorite Recipes From Friends Of The Dallas Symphony Orchestra published in 1969. My copy of this cookbook is from the third printing in 1972. This recipe was submitted by Mrs. William R. Newsom III. I quite enjoyed this casserole. I enjoyed it as a side dish, but you could make this a main dish, by adding chicken to it. Seasoning can be adjusted to your taste; add more or less! One change I would make is to use a medium sized onion (I used most of a pretty large onion); I like onion, but a little less in this recipe would be fine. If you really like onion though, by all means, use a large onion. I would also drain any excess liquid you may have from cooking the rice and I would use about 1/4 cup less milk. I would guesstimate that you could get at least eight servings if used as a side dish (the original recipe says 6). Serve alongside chicken or other meat of your choice. My modifications are in italics. 

Ingredients:

2 eggs, beaten

1/2 cup cooking oil (canola)

1 medium onion, finely chopped

1 cup parsley, finely chopped (I used stems and all, but go ahead and use just the leaves if you prefer

1 3/4 cup grated Cheddar cheese (I used my favorite shredded Monterrey Jack)

1 box (4.3 oz) wild rice mix (I used Rice-A-Roni) or 1 1/2 cups wild rice, cooked

1 cup milk (Feel free to use just under a full cup)

salt to taste

chipotle pepper or your favorite seasoning, to taste

1 tbsp paprika

Directions:

Cook wild rice and allow to cool. Pre-heat oven to 325 degrees. Chop onion and parsley. Combine onion and parsley in a bowl. Beat eggs in a large bowl and gradually add oil while mixing. Mix in onion and parsley. Stir in cheese, cooled rice, milk, salt and whatever seasonings you desire. Thoroughly combine ingredients and pour into a greased 3-quart casserole dish. Bake for 45 minutes. Remove from oven, allowing to cool slightly and serve alongside chicken or other meat. 

Wild Rice Casserole 

Wild Rice Casserole

Charley the Muffin Man supervising picture taking of the Wild Rice Casserole. 

Cheddar-Apple Muffins

 Charley The Muffin Man

Muffin #1 - Cheddar-Apple Muffins

       So, when I adopted my pup from the SPCA of Texas in Dallas, in January, his shelter name was Muffin. However, he is most definitely not a "Muffin". His name is Charley and his very, first name is "Charley The Muffin Man". His Instagram page his @charleythemuffinman. This series of muffin recipes are for him. This recipe is in one of my favorite cookbooks. The Better Homes and Gardens New Cookbook published in 1996. It is one of the first cookbooks which I bought for myself. I used Colby-Jack cheese in lieu of plain cheddar, because that's what I had. I couldn't really taste the cheese in these muffins and I wished there was more flavor. Consider adding a bit of cinnamon or nutmeg or serving with cinnamon-sugar sprinkled on top. That said, I liked these muffins; they had a good texture. Try them and let me know what you think. Modification(s) in italics. 

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 cup finely shredded cheddar or Colby-Jack cheese (2oz)

1/3 cup quick-cooking rolled oats

2 tbsps sugar

2 1/2 tsps baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

1 beaten egg

3/4 cup milk

1/3 cup cooking oil

3/4 cup finely chopped, pealed apple

Directions:

Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees. Grease twelve large muffin cups (2 1/2-inch muffin cups) and set aside. In a medium bowl, combine flour, cheese, rolled oats, sugar, baking powder and salt. Make a well in the center of the dry mixture and set aside. In a separate medium-sized bowl, mix together the egg, milk and oil. Mix liquid mixture into the dry mixture. Stir until combined; the batter should be a little lumpy. Spoon mixture into muffin cups so that they are about 2/3 full. Bake for 18-20 minutes or until golden. Cool on a wire rack for five minutes and remove from pan. Serve warm with butter and cinnamon-sugar if desired. 

Charley The Muffin Man and 
Cheddar-Apple Muffins

Casserole #6 - Lemonchick's Cheesy Sausage & Potato Casserole

 The Year of Casseroles

Casserole #6 - Lemonchick's Cheesy Sausage & Potato Casserole

This recipe is a creation of mine. You can substitute your favorite spicy seasoning in place of Penzey's Arizona Dreaming salt free seasoning if you like. Or even try your favorite seasoning. I hope you like it. 

Ingredients:

3 medium potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks

1 medium onion or 1/2 of a large onion, peeled and diced

1 green pepper, cored and cut into chunks

8oz andouli or Kielbasa sausage, sliced into about 1/4-1/2 inch slices

1 cup Monterrey Jack or Cheddar cheese, shredded, plus more to sprinkle on top

1 tsp or more to taste of Penzey Spice's Arizona Dreaming salt free seasoning

1 tsp Penzey Spice's dried minced garlic or fresh minced garlic

1/4 tsp pepper

2 cups white sauce:

  1/4 cup butter

  1/4 cup flour

  2 cups milk, heated 

  1/2 tsp salt

  1/8 tsp pepper

Directions:

Pre-heat your oven to 350 degrees. Bring a large pot of water to boiling and cook the chunks of potato until they are fork soft (You don't want them mushy and you don't want them hard). Drain the potatoes and pour chunks into a large bowl. Cool while you prepare the rest of the ingredients. Stir in sausage, green pepper and onion. Mix shredded cheese into white sauce, pour over the sausage & potato mixture and store to combine. Pour mixture into a greased, 3-qt casserole. Sprinkle with additional cheese and bake for 30 minutes. 

White Sauce: Melt butter on low. Blend in flour. Slowly stir heated milk. Add salt and pepper and stir. 

Lemonchick's Cheesy Sausage & Potato Casserole
Picture being supervised by Charley The Muffin Man

Casserole #5 - Summer Squash and Zucchini Casserole

 The Year of Casseroles

Casserole #5 - Summer Squash and Zucchini Casserole

    This recipe is from a 1989 Minute Rice (General Foods) cookbook. The original recipe calls for a 9-inch square casserole. However, I used a large round casserole dish. I believe it was a 3-qt dish. I added chili powder to the original recipe, but you could use whatever spicy seasoning you like, or make it like the original, without spicy seasoning. 

Ingredients:

2 medium yellow summer squash, diced

1 medium zucchini diced

1 small onion, peeled and chopped

1 1/2 cups shredded Monterrey Jack cheese

1 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1 cup milk (I made this with the original 1 1/2 cups milk called for in the recipe. However, the casserole had so much liquid seeping out; it still tasted good, but was way too liquid-y)

2 eggs, beaten

1 cup Minute Rice (or generic quick cooking rice)

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp Italian seasoning or 1 tsp chili powder/spicy seasoning

1/8 tsp pepper

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Combine all ingredients in a large bowl and mix well. Grease the casserole dish and pour the squash & zucchini mixture into the casserole dish. Bake for 35 minutes or until the liquid is absorbed. Sprinkle extra Italian seasoning or chili powder/spicy seasoning over top when serving. Makes 6-8 servings.

*Note: If you want to try cooking the rice first, only use 1/2 cup of milk

Summer Squash and Zucchini Casserole

Summer Squash and Zucchini Casserole

Casserole #3 - Breakfast Casserole

 The Year of Casseroles

Casserole #3 - Breakfast Casserole

    I chose to "half" this recipe from 1999's The Centennial Harvest - A Collection of Recipes from The First Unitarian Church of Dallas. Per the directions, I prepared this casserole in the evening, covered with plastic and refrigerated overnight. First this morning, I pre-heated my oven, removed the casserole and the plastic, and baked for 40 minutes. I sprinkled with red pepper chili flakes. This casserole was yummy. I would recommend the recipe as I give it, especially if you are making this for one to four people. Double the recipe to serve eight to twelve people. Substitute spicy breakfast sausage like I did or use plain sausage. Also try turkey or chicken breakfast sausage. Serve with a sprinkle of red chili pepper flakes or drizzle your favorite salsa on top. 

Ingredients: 

1/2 lb breakfast sausage, browned

6 slices of bread

5 eggs

1/2 cup milk (I used oat milk)

1/2 cup grated/shredded cheese

salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

In an 8x8 baking dish, lay four slices of bread. Tear the other two pieces of bread in half and squish the halves lengthwise on both sides of the first four slices. Sprinkle browned sausage crumbles evenly over the bread. In a small bowl mix eggs with milk, and salt and pepper; use a fork or whisk. Pour egg mixture over the bread and sausage. Evenly sprinkle cheese on top. Cover baking dish with plastic wrap or foil. Refrigerate overnight.  In the morning, pre-heat oven to 350 F and bake uncovered for 40 to 60 minutes; until the center is set (for me that was 40 minutes). Cool slightly, cut into squares and loosen the edges with a knife. Serve squares of casserole with salsa or red chili pepper flakes. 

Breakfast Casserole

Breakfast Casserole

Breakfast Casserole 

Chocolate-Pistachio Bread

 Chocolate-Pistachio Bread

    Okay, so I was excited about making this bread. However, it did not turn out moist as I had hoped it would.  The friend I gave it to said she liked it though. We enjoyed slices over dinner last night and I do feel it would be yummy with hot coffee or tea. It would be yummy served warm with a scoop of ice cream and hot fudge on top. So that would be my serving suggestion, serve warmed with ice cream and hot fudge sauce. The recipe is in my Betty Crocker The Big Book of Bread from 2013. Try it and see what you think. 

Ingredients:

2/3 cup sugar

1/2 cups butter, melted

3/4 cup milk

1 1/2 cups flour

1 cup chopped pistachios

1/2 cups semisweet chocolate chips (I substituted chopped dark chocolate and milk chocolate kisses)

1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

2 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

sugar crystals for topping if desired

Directions:

Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease the bottom of a 9x5 inch glass or shiny metal loaf pan. Do not use a dark colored pan (It will make the bread burn around the edges). Mix sugar, butter, milk and egg in a large bowl. Mix until thoroughly blended. Add in your dry ingredients, stirring until well combined. Bake for 60 to 70 minutes. Remove and cool in pan on a baking rack for ten minutes. Run a knife around the loaf to loosen. Remove loaf from pan and let it cool completely on the baking rack. Wrap tightly if you are not going to eat immediately. This will last up to four days at room temperature or refrigerated. 

Chocolate-Pistachio Bread

Chocolate-Pistachio Bread

Appetizer #21 - Corn Dog Bites

 The Year of Appetizers

Appetizer #21 - Corn Dog Bites

    This is my creation. I used hot dogs, but you could use kielbasa sausage as well. Serve these with your favorite dipping sauce, like mustard, honey-mustard or even ketchup.  You could also serve these as part of a meal with french fries or tater tots or a vegetable. But, it is fried, so you may as well have the fries or tots! I list a whole package of hot dogs in the ingredients, but you'll cut them up and use as many as you have batter for or that you want.

Ingredients:

1 package hot dogs

1 box of Jiffy cornbread mix

1 egg, slightly beaten

1/2 cup milk

1/2 cup flour

oil

spicy seasoning/your favorite seasoning (optional)

Directions:

Place flour in a small bowl and set aside. Pour cornbread mix into a large bowl. Add in milk and egg, whisking until thoroughly combined. Add seasoning if using and stir to combine. Heat oil to appropriate temperature or test oil by dropping a tiny bit of batter in your oil.  Cut each hot dog into about 5-6 pieces; you want them to be kinda small; use your best judgement for sizing. Add a few pieces of hot dog into the flour and coat each piece. Dip pieces one at a time into the cornbread batter and thoroughly coat. Gently drop battered hot dog pieces into hot oil and fry until golden brown. Remove corn dog bites from hot oil and place onto plate/tray covered with paper towel. Continue frying until you have used all of the hot dogs and batter. Serve hot on a platter with your choice of dipping sauce. 

Corn Dog Bites

Corn Dog Bites

Appetizer #8 - Carrot Puffs

 The Year of Appetizers

Appetizer #8 - Carrot Puffs

    Okay, so I sometimes will take a picture of a recipe in a cookbook, so I can easily refer to it in making grocery lists. This time around, I did that and then put the cookbook away. I know it was the Waring Blendor Cookbook, but I do not know for sure which year it was published. I "googled' and I believe that the cookbook I have is the one that was published in 1955. This is not the only Waring cookbook which spelled blender as "blendor", but I am pretty sure of the one I have. 

    These puffs were good. They were of a lighter texture than hush puppies, but you fry them just the same (I actually used about two inches of oil in a large cast iron skillet). There are a number of variations you could do with this recipe. Substitute sweet potato for the carrot, add more nutmeg or substitute cinnamon. I am also curious how this would turn out using spinach. I used avocado oil instead of regular vegetable oil, so it was a little "better". Still fried in oil, but better. Lol. 

    My verdict is that these were tasty and I would make them again if I wasn't being careful with fried foods (I don't know what possessed me to make something fried). They were not difficult to make, so if you like fried things, try this!

Ingredients:

1 cup flour

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

1/8 tsp salt

1/4 tsp nutmeg or cinnamon

1 egg

1/2 cup milk

3/4 cup cooked carrots (cut up in small pieces)

2 tbsp oil

Directions:

Into a bowl, sift flour, baking powder, nutmeg/cinnamon and salt. Into your blender or food processor, add the egg, milk, carrots and oil over and blend until smooth. Pour your liquid mixture into the dry flour mixture and stir, thoroughly combining. Drop spoonfuls into hot oil and fry for 3 to 5 minutes. You want them golden. Remove to a paper towel lined baking sheet or plate and sprinkle with salt. Serves 6.

Carrot Puffs

Appetizer #7 - Coconut Chicken Bites

 The Year of Appetizers

Appetizer #7 - Coconut Chicken Bites

    This recipe comes from 2007's The Taste of Home Cookbook, from Reader's Digest. I had to modify the recipe, because I once again, did not have all of the correct seasonings. I'll list what I used in italics and what the original seasonings were that I did not use. Even with my substitutions, I really liked these little bite-sized nuggets. They would be yummy with a hot honey sauce or a hot orange marmalade sauce. Instructions for the sauces will be below. 

P.S. Sorry for my plain-jane photo. 

Ingredients:

2 cups flaked coconut

1 egg

2 tbsps milk

3/4 pound boneless and skinless chicken breast, cut into nugget-sized pieces

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

1 tsp celery salt (If you don't have this, use regular salt like I did)

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1/2 tsp ground cumin (I used chili powder)

Oil for frying

Directions:

Finely chop coconut in a blender or food processor (This took awhile for me, because I tried using a blender and it did not work great). Pour coconut into a bowl and set aside. Combine egg and milk in a separate bowl until well combined. Pour flour into a small bowl and toss the chicken a few pieces at a time, in the flour. Dip floured chicken pieces in the egg mixture and then in the coconut. Place chicken pieces on a tray and refrigerate for 30 minutes. Fry a few pieces of chicken at a time in 2 inches of oil (heated to 375 degrees) for about 1 1/2 minutes on each side. They should be golden brown. Drain fried chicken bites on paper towels and place in a bowl. Combine seasonings and sprinkle over chicken bites. Toss to coat chicken bites and serve warm with or without a dipping sauce. I actually opted to mix my seasonings in with the flour, before coating in the egg mixture and coconut. 

Dipping Sauce #1 - Hot Honey Sauce:

Heat 1/2 cup honey in a microwave until it is a little bubbly. Remove from the microwave and add sriracha sauce to taste.  Add more or less honey and sriracha. It really depends on how much sauce you want and how sweet or hot you want it. 

Dipping Sauce #2 - Hot Orange Marmalade Sauce:

Follow directions above, only use orange marmalade. 

Coconut Chicken Bites

Blueberry Muffins

 Blueberry Muffins

    From my favorite cookbook the Pillsbury Family Cook Book. Published originally in 1963, my copy is a sixth printing from 1970. I've been home sick for over a week (never did get confirmation on what virus I had), but on Saturday, I needed to eat and felt up to making some muffins. I'm trying to use up things I've had in my freezer, to make space, and had blueberries. So, I made these. It's a basic muffin recipe you can switch up as you like, with recipes for additions listed below the basic recipe. I baked these in my Pampered Chef square brownie bar pan. 

Ingredients:

2 cups all purpose flour

1/4 cup sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 egg, beaten

1 cup milk

1/4 cup cooking oil or melted shortening (I used canola oil)

1 to 2 cups blueberries (However much you want, but remember that the more blueberries, the heavier they will be; I used close to 2 cups)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Into a large mixing bowl, sift together flour, sugar and salt. Into a small bowl, combine egg, milk and oil/melted shortening. Slowly pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix until there is no dry mix left. You need to stir until all is moist; being careful not to over mix. Stir in blueberries. Fill well-greased muffin cups 2/3 full and bake for 20 to 25 minutes. Serve warm with butter or your favorite topping(s).

Blueberry Muffins

Chocolate Pudding Poke Cake

 Chocolate Pudding Poke Cake

    I made this simple cake for a Friendsgiving lunch at work last week. It was easy to make and it would be very, easy to swap out flavors. Use your favorite flavor cake mix and a pudding flavor which will go with that cake mix flavor. The cake I made used chocolate (like it says in the title) and vanilla cake mix. It was moist and tasty.  This was a Kraft/Heinz recipe. 

Ingredients:

1 box cake mix (2 layer size)

    You will also need the ingredients that your cake mix calls for; mine had 3/4 cup + 2 tbsp water, 1/4 cup vegetable (I used canola) oil and two eggs)    

2 packages (3.4 oz) Jell-O Cook & Serve Pudding

1 cup powdered sugar

4 cups milk (I used skim milk)

2 tbsp butter or margarine 

Directions

Make cake according to directions, using a 9x13 pan. While the cake is baking, combine the dry pudding mix and powdered sugar in a medium saucepan. Gradually stir in milk until blended. Add butter and bring to a rolling boil on medium heat. Stir constantly and remove from heat when the pudding gets to that rolling boil stage.  When done, remove the cake from the oven (you can check that it is done by using a knife or toothpick and poking the cake to make sure the knife/toothpick comes out clean).  Poke holes throughout the cake with the handle end of a wooden spoon.  Pour the pudding mix over the cake. Cool for a short time and then refrigerate for at least two hours. Serve chilled.

I forgot to take a picture of my cake; this picture is from the Kraft/Heinz site. 

 

Mystery Biscuits

 Mystery Biscuits

    I love the community/organization cookbooks in which members of the community or organization submit recipes. I have a copy of the Richardson Citizen Fire Academy Firehouse & Friends Favorite Recipes cookbook, published in 2009.  This recipe was submitted by Alicia M. The "mystery" ingredient is mayonnaise, which provides the fat in the recipe. This recipe was very, easy. The biscuits don't raise much during baking; they come out as nice "pillowy" biscuits. They are yummy and I enjoyed a couple with butter at dinner tonight. Give these simple biscuits a try!

Ingredients:

2 cups flour

1 tablespoon baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup mayonnaise

1 cup milk

1 tsp sugar

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Sift flour, salt and baking powder into a large mixing bowl.   Stir in the sugar, milk and mayonnaise, ensuring the batter is thoroughly combined. Drop by rounded spoonfuls (I used a large soup spoon) onto a greased cookie sheet or fill 12 muffin tins 2/3 full. Bake for 18 to 20 minutes, until slightly browned on top. 

Mystery Biscuits

Scalloped Cauliflower

 Scalloped Caulifower

    This recipe is based on the Harvest Cauliflower Scallop recipe in Back to Basics - Home Tested Recipes From A To Z. The original recipe calls for four hard-boiled eggs and I didn't want eggs on mine. I added bread crumbs in lieu of the eggs. I also added 1 1/4 cup milk instead of just 1 cup. I used butter not margarine and also added pepper and spicy seasoning. I would maybe use a round casserole dish or 9x5 pan instead of the 9x13 pan. I really liked this recipe and would definitely make this again. I'll give the original recipe and show my changes in italics. 

Ingredients:

1 medium head cauliflower (I used a giant head of cauliflower) 

3 tbsp margarine (or butter)

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

1 cup milk (1 1/4 cup milk)

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper

1/4 tsp spicy seasoning

4 hard-boiled eggs, sliced (Optional)

1 1/4 cup shredded American cheese (I used finely shredded Monterrey Jack cheese)

1/2 to 3/4 cup bread crumbs (Optional) (I used crushed ready made salad croutons)

Directions:

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. Cut cauliflower into flowerettes. In a large saucepan, cook cauliflower until tender-crisp and drain. Grease a 9x13 baking dish and place half of the cauliflower in the dish. Melt margarine or butter; blend in flour and gradually stir in 1 cup of the milk. Stir continuously and cook until thickened; thin with the additional 1/4 cup of milk if desired. Stir in salt, pepper and spicy seasonings. Remove from heat and dot spoonfuls of the white sauce onto the cauliflower. Sprinkle half of the shredded cheese over the cauliflower and white sauce. Layer the rest of the cauliflower in the pan and dot with spoonfuls of the remaining sauce. Sprinkle the rest of the cheese on top and sprinkle with bread crumbs.  The original recipe calls for adding sliced hard-boiled egg over the first layer of cauliflower, sauce and cheese, but I just couldn't wrap my head around putting hard-boiled egg in this dish. 

Scalloped Cauliflower 

Scalloped Cauliflower