Taco Chili

I had this chili at my brother and sister-in-law's years ago, and asked for the recipe. My sister-in-law basically told me that if you can brown meat and open cans, you've got it made! It's always nice to have a really good tasting dish that is easy to make. In fact, it's so easy that I made 5 batches to serve at a Youth Center. The kids at the Center requested chili, and this recipe came to mind. I'll include their verdict on how they enjoyed the soup after I serve it this Friday.

Ingredients:
1 to 2lbs. of either ground chuck or ground turkey (depending on your taste) I used about 1 &1/2 lbs.
1 large onion
2- 16 oz. cans stewed tomatoes (I also use San Marzano peeled tomatoes in place of stewed tom.)
1- 16 oz. can pinto beans
1- 16 oz. can kidney beans
1- 16 oz. can white hominy  ( I sometimes substitute canned mexicorn and garbanzo beans in
1- 16 oz. can golden hominy   place of the hominy)
1- 10 oz. can Rotel
1- 1 &1/4 oz. pkg. taco seasoning mix
1- 1oz. pkg. dry Ranch dressing mix

Brown ground meat and chopped onion, drain grease from meat. Add all other ingredients (do not drain or rinse any of the canned ingredients) just put the whole thing in and heat thoroughly. Serve with Cheddar or Mexican cheese, sour cream, and taco chips.

The chili was quite a hit with the kids at the Lighthouse Youth Center. I even had a girl who didn't want to try it at first because it had onions in it that ended up coming back for more.

Holiday Appetizers/Spinach Balls & Almond Cheddar Appetizer

 The thing I love about both of these appetizers is that they are fairly easy to make, taste really good, and can be made ahead and frozen to use whenever you'd like. I also added a couple of Sam's Club garlic olives...yum, and one of my favorite cheeses.

Link for recipe below

http://recipefirst.blogspot.com/2012/10/spinach-balls.html

All Ready For The Freezer!

The Almond Cheddar Appetizer calls for 1 cup of mayonnaise, but I only use 3/4 cup to cut back on the richness. I'm surprised they don't include bacon in the title because that is a main ingredient, and really makes it extra good. Just click on the link below for the recipe.

http://www.tasteofhome.com/Recipes/Almond-Cheddar-Appetizers

Cream Of Mushroom Soup

This has to be one of my favorite soups! I found this recipe on allrecipes.com, but have made a couple of alterations.  
When you think of cream of mushroom soup, the first thing that pops into your head is the Campbell's version. I love using Campbell's cream of mushroom in recipes but never liked eating it just as a soup. I can't believe how much I love this soup for someone who used to hate mushrooms as a kid!  It's excellent with bread topped with baby Swiss cheese and warmed in the oven. I shred the cheese in my food processor along with a little shredded onion. 


Ingredients

    2- 16 oz. baby bella sliced fresh mushrooms

    3 cups chicken broth

    2 cloves minced garlic or 1/4 tsp garlic powder

    1 cup chopped onion

    2 tsp. fresh chopped thyme or 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme (I definitely prefer fresh in this recipe)

    6 tablespoons butter
    6 tablespoons flour

    1/2 teaspoon salt

    1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

    1 cup heavy whipping cream

    1 cup half-and-half

    1/4 cup sherry

Directions

In a large heavy saucepan, cook mushrooms in the broth with onion, garlic and thyme until tender, about  10 to 15 minutes. (If using fresh thyme, don't add until the last couple of minutes of boiling time.)

In blender, food processor, or using immersion blender, puree the mixture , leaving some chunks of mushrooms in it. ( I also like to puree until totally smooth and add an 8 oz. package of mushrooms that I have caramelized when soup is complete.) Set aside.

In a smaller saucepan, melt the butter, whisk in the flour salt and pepper and stir for about 2 minutes until smooth. Add the mixture to the mushroom puree and bring to a boil stirring constantly and simmer until thickened. Add the sherry and simmer for another 3 mins., then add half and half and whipping cream and heat until warmed through. Adjust seasonings to taste.

Soup can be frozen, but be sure to leave the whipping cream and half-and-half out, and add after you take out of freezer to heat.

Bacon, Mushroom, and Almond Wild Rice

 On trips to Minnesota to visit our son, daughter-in-law and grandson, I like to pick up some MN wild rice. I decided to make a side dish to go with some Cornish hens I'm making. I've included an easy and sure proof method for making your wild rice in the oven that my sister Gina shared with me. It's a perfect way to make rice while you're busy at work.

 Easy Oven Prepared Wild Rice

1 cup wild rice
3 cups boiling water
1 chicken Bouillon cube (I use a tsp. of Better Than Bouillon)

Preheat oven to 500 degrees
put everything in a covered Pyrex or glass dish, put in oven and turn the oven OFF. Either do it overnight or in the morning so it's ready for supper. Works great!




Bacon, Mushroom, and Almond Wild Rice


Ingredients


Prepared rice from above recipe
1/2 lb. bacon cut up and fried
8 oz. package of slice mushrooms
1/3 cup chopped onion
1 shallot (chopped)
1 clove garlic (minced)
2 Tbs. sherry
1/4 cup slivered or slice almonds (pan toasted)


Cut up your bacon and fry it in a pan over medium heat until crisp (set aside). Drain most of the fat from the pan, leaving enough to saute' your onions, shallot, garlic, and mushrooms. Saute' the onion, shallot, and garlic over medium heat for about two to three mins. Add the mushrooms and saute' for an additional 3 mins. or so until done. While sauteing, sprinkle the 2 Tbs. of sherry evenly over the mushroom/onion mixture, and season lightly with salt. Set sauteed mixture aside, and place the almonds in the same pan on medium heat, stirring constantly so the almonds do not burn. (set aside)
Put about 1 Tbs. olive oil in the pan and add the cooked rice from the oven. Stir in all of the other ingredients, add salt and pepper to taste, and cook on medium until warm and ready to serve.

                                                           

Garlic Saffron Aioli

Garlic Saffron Aioli

 

 I tried to pin this recipe of the Barefoot Contessa's, but it said the picture wasn't large enough. Since I really enjoyed it, I wanted the opportunity to pin it.

 Some people said it was hard to get the right consistency, but I had no problem. I saw it made on TV and the Contessa said to squeeze the excess vinegar out of the bread before putting in with the rest of the ingredients. That isn't mentioned in this recipe, and may be the reason for the difference in consistency.

She served the aioli with fingerling potatoes. I'm also looking forward to trying this on a turkey sandwich and some baked fish.

 

Ingredients

• 2 1/2 pounds fingerling potatoes, unpeeled
• Kosher salt

For the Aioli:

• 1(1/2-inch thick) slice white bread, crust removed
• 2 tablespoons Champagne or white wine vinegar
• 6 large garlic cloves, chopped
• 2 extra-large egg yolks, at room temperature
• 1/2 teaspoon grated lemon zest
• 3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 1/2 teaspoon saffron threads
• Kosher salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 1 1/2 cups good olive oil
• Chives, chopped

Directions

Rinse the potatoes and put them in a large saucepan. Cover them with cold water, add 1 tablespoon of salt, and bring to a boil. Simmer uncovered for 15 to 20 minutes, until they are just tender. Drain the potatoes in a colander and place a kitchen towel on top, allowing them to steam for 5 to 10 minutes.
For the aioli, tear the slice of bread into pieces and place in a bowl. Pour the vinegar over the bread, and set aside for 5 minutes.

Place the garlic cloves, egg yolks, zest, juice, saffron, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade. Add the bread, and puree into a paste. *The bread should look like a piece of dough after the vinegar is squeezed out. (see below)

 With the processor running, slowly pour the oil into the bowl through the feed tube and process until it is the consistency of thick sour cream. Place in a serving bowl.
Slice the potatoes in half and place them on a serving plate. Sprinkle with salt and pepper, and decorate with the chopped chives. Serve with the aioli.

* Raw Egg Warning

Food Network Kitchens suggest caution in consuming raw and lightly cooked eggs due to the slight risk of salmonella or other food-borne illness. To reduce this risk, we recommend you use only fresh, properly refrigerated, clean grade A or AA eggs with intact shells, and avoid contact between the yolks or whites and the shell. For recipes that call for eggs that are raw or undercooked when the dish is served, use shell eggs that have been treated to destroy salmonella, by pasteurization or another approved method.

Country Casserole

Years ago we stayed at Phipps Inn in Hudson, WI & really loved it, especially love that they offer the option of breakfast delivered to your room! They have a number of recipes posted on their website, but no pictures, so they aren't Pinterest ready. I made this casserole while on vacation and was impressed with how easy and how good it was. I changed a few things from the original recipe. I liked it with or without the salsa. As usual, I add more cheese than they do...I can't say how much more cuz I just add what looks good to me. Most of the extra cheese I added to the top of the dish.

 

Phipps Inn Country Casserole

16 ounces bulk breakfast sausage
1/2 choppped onion
2 lbs. Southern style frozen hash browns        
8 ounces shredded Mexican blend cheese
(If you want it to taste more Mexican to go with the salsa, use taco cheese instead of Mexican blend.)
8 ounces shredded cheddar cheese
2 cups milk
1 tsp. seasoning salt such as Lawry’s
½ tsp. dry mustard
6 large eggs
Paprika
Salsa

Brown sausage and onion and drain. In a very large bowl, combine sausage, hash browns (do not have to be thawed), the Mexican cheese and half of the cheddar cheese. Beat eggs, milk and seasonings for about a minute with a hand mixer, then combine with the sausage and egg mixture. Pour into a greased 9x13 glass baking dish, top with remaining cheddar cheese, sprinkle with paprika, cover and refrigerate overnight. Remove from refrigerator about 2 hours before serving to come to room temperature. Bake for 55-60 minutes at 350 degrees. Let stand 10 minutes. Serve with salsa.

Caramel Apple Muffin and Pumpkin White Choc. Chip Muffin

Pumpkin White Chocolate Chip & Caramel Apple Muffins

I will be serving these 2 muffins at our Women's Retreat this weekend, and thought I'd include the links with both of the recipes. I of course had to taste test them before I serve them to the ladies...Mm-Mm!

http://www.tasteofhome.com/Recipes/Caramel-Apple-Muffins#.UGMMQBtx-5g.pinterest
I went with the suggestion from others that have tried this recipe... Instead of chopping up the caramels and adding them to the batter, I put about half or less of the batter in the cup, and then added a whole caramel and the rest of the batter to fill the cup.    

http://www.culinaryconcoctionsbypeabody.com/2012/09/04/pumpkin-white-chocolate-chip-muffins/

The women loved both of the muffins!!! (Success!)