Tortilla Soup ~ by Sarah

I found this recipe on Pinterest after wanting to find a good soup to take to Mom's for Christmas Eve.  It was definitely delicious!  I did all the prep work that morning, so putting it together was really easy.  It smelled wonderful while it was cooking and tasted even better!

Ingredients:

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 tablespoon olive oil
1-½ teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon chili powder
½ teaspoon garlic powder
½ teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 cup diced onion
¼ cup diced green bell pepper
¼ cup red bell pepper
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 can (10 oz. can) Rotel Tomatoes And Green Chilies
32 ounces, fluid low sodium chicken stock
3 tablespoons tomato paste
4 cups hot water
2 cans (15 oz. can) black beans, drained
3 tablespoons cornmeal or masa
5 whole corn tortillas, cut into uniform strips around 2 to 3 inches

Garnishes:
sour cream
diced avocado
diced red onion
salsa or pico de gallo
grated Monterey Jack cheese
fresh cilantro

Directions:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Mix cumin, chili pepper, garlic powder, and salt. Drizzle 1 tablespoon olive oil on chicken breasts, then sprinkle a small amount of spice mix on both sides. Set aside the rest of the spice mix. Place chicken breasts on a baking sheet. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until chicken is done. Use two forks to shred chicken. Set aside. Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a pot over medium high heat. Add onions, red pepper, green pepper, and minced garlic. Stir and begin cooking, then add the rest of the spice mix. Stir to combine, then add shredded chicken and stir. Pour in Rotel, chicken stock, tomato paste, water, and black beans. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer. Simmer for 45 minutes, uncovered. Mix cornmeal with a small amount of water. Pour into the soup, then simmer for an additional 30 minutes. Check seasonings, adding more if needed---add more chili powder if it needs more spice, and be sure not to undersalt. Turn off heat and allow to sit for 15 to 20 minutes before serving. Five minutes before serving, gently stir in tortilla strips. Ladle into bowls, then top with sour cream, diced red onion, diced avocado, pico de gallo, and grated cheese. (The garnishes really make the soup delicious.)

(Not my picture...)

Company Casserole ~ by Kelsey

This is from my "A Taste of Oregon" cookbook.  I am going to post the recipe as it is written in the book, but I will note the changes I made when I prepared it.  This was SO good.  Even Grace ate it, and she NEVER eats what I cook for dinner.  I completely left out the butter this recipe calls for, and it was still very rich!

Ingredients:
4 cups uncooked egg noodles
2 pounds ground beef ( I used 1.5 lbs since that's how ours is packaged)
1 tablespoon butter (again, I left out the butter)
4 8-oz cans tomato sauce
1 cup cottage cheese
1 8-oz package cream cheese
1/4 cup sour cream
1/3 cup chopped scallion or onion
1 tablespoon chopped green pepper (Now this confused me.  One tablespoon?  Seemed like a typo.  I used one whole green pepper)
2 tablespoons butter, melted (again, omitted by me)

Cook and drain noodles.  Saute beef in large skillet, using one tablespoon butter, until brown.  Stir in tomato sauce and remove from heat.  Set aside.  Combine in a bowl the cottage cheese, cream cheese, sour cream, scallion, and green pepper.  Using a 3-quart casserole, spread half the noodles, then cover with the cheese mixture.  Add the rest of the noodles. (I found it hard to spread the cheese on the noodles, so I ended up just mixing the cheese with the noodles.)  Pour two tablespoons of melted butter over top of noodles.  Cover with meat mixture.  Bake uncovered for 30 minutes at 375.

Mocha Fudge Cake ~Molly

I found this recipe in Self magazine adapted from a spa in Arizona. It's delicious! I added powdered sugar on top and ate it with ice cream (Mom added milk, but that's gross).

INGREDIENTS

• 1 1/2 cups brown sugar
• 4 tablespoons butter
• 3 eggs
• 3 oz unsweetened, bittersweet, or semisweet chocolate, melted
• 3/4 cup sour cream
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 3/4 cup hot coffee
• 1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• Vegetable oil cooking spray
• 
  
• PREPARATION
• Heat oven to 350˚. Beat sugar and butter in a bowl until combined. Beat in eggs, then chocolate, then sour cream. Sift flour and baking soda in a bowl; add to chocolate mixture. Beat in coffee, vanilla and salt until combined. Coat a 9" x 13" pan with cooking spray; pour in batter. Bake until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, 35 minutes.
• 
  
• THE SKINNY
• 279 calories per slice, 11 g fat (6 g saturated), 42 g carbs, 2 g fiber, 4 g protein

Guinness Chocolate Cupcakes ~Molly

While searching for the perfect St. Patrick's Day recipes, I kept finding recipes for cupcakes with Guinness. It sounded gross, but I figured if so many sites were posting recipes, they must not be half bad. So, I stopped by Fred Meyer today on my way home from class to buy some Guinness (I swear it's only for the cupcakes, Mom, I wouldn't dream of drinking any). I've already eaten three. Two weren't even frosted because I couldn't wait long enough to let them cool. Don't judge. 


I found my recipe (and the picture) here:  http://theculinarychronicles.com/2011/03/09/chocolate-stout-cupcakes-with-irish-cream-buttercream-slainte/


But, then I realized the recipe was originally posted here: http://smittenkitchen.com/2009/01/car-bomb-cupcakes/, only with a ganache filling. I will be trying that next time.

For the Guinness Chocolate Cupcakes

1 cup stout (such as Guinness)

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter

3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (preferably Dutch-process)

2 cups all purpose flour

2 cups sugar

1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda

3/4 teaspoon salt

2 large eggs

2/3 cup sour cream

Ganache Filling 

8 ounces bittersweet chocolate

2/3 cup heavy cream

2 tablespoons butter, room temperature

1 to 2 teaspoons Irish whiskey (optional)

Baileys Frosting

3 to 4 cups confections sugar

1 stick (1/2 cup or 4 ounces) unsalted butter, at room temperatue

3 to 4 tablespoons Baileys (or milk, or heavy cream, or a combination thereof)

Special equipment: 1-inch round cookie cutter or an apple corer and a piping bag (though a plastic bag with the corner snipped off will also work)

Make the cupcakes: Preheat oven to 350°F. Line 24 cupcake cups with liners. Bring 1 cup stout and 1 cup butter to simmer in heavy large saucepan over medium heat. Add cocoa powder and whisk until mixture is smooth. Cool slightly.

Whisk flour, sugar, baking soda, and 3/4 teaspoon salt in large bowl to blend. Using electric mixer, beat eggs and sour cream in another large bowl to blend. Add stout-chocolate mixture to egg mixture and beat just to combine. Add flour mixture and beat briefly on slow speed. Using rubber spatula, fold batter until completely combined. Divide batter among cupcake liners, filling them 2/3 to 3/4 of the way. Bake cake until tester inserted into center comes out clean, rotating them once front to back if your oven bakes unevenly, about 17 minutes. Cool cupcakes on a rack completely.

Make the filling: Chop the chocolate and transfer it to a heatproof bowl. Heat the cream until simmering and pour it over the chocolate. Let it sit for one minute and then stir until smooth. (If this has not sufficiently melted the chocolate, you can return it to a double-boiler to gently melt what remains. 20 seconds in the microwave, watching carefully, will also work.) Add the butter and whiskey (if you’re using it) and stir until combined.

Fill the cupcakes: Let the ganache cool until thick but still soft enough to be piped (the fridge will speed this along but you must stir it every 10 minutes). Meanwhile, using your 1-inch round cookie cutter or an apple corer, cut the centers out of the cooled cupcakes. You want to go most of the way down the cupcake but not cut through the bottom — aim for 2/3 of the way. A slim spoon or grapefruit knife will help you get the center out. Those are your “tasters”. Put the ganache into a piping bag with a wide tip and fill the holes in each cupcake to the top.

Make the frosting: Whip the butter in the bowl of an electric mixer, or with a hand mixer, for several minutes. You want to get it very light and fluffy. Slowly add the powdered sugar, a few tablespoons at a time.

Twice-Baked Potatoes ~ by Sarah

These are ah-mazing.  In the words of cousin Amy, "These are the best things I've ever eaten."  And they pretty much are.  Just don't think about your waistline while you're enjoying them.  Big surprise--they come from the Pioneer Woman!

Ingredients:
8 baking potatoes, scrubbed clean
canola oil
8 slices thick-cut bacon, fried
1/2 pound (2 sticks) butter, cut into slices
1 cup sour cream
1/2 cup milk
1/2 teaspoon seasoned salt, such as Lawry's
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
2 cups grated sharp cheddar cheese
2-3 green onions, sliced

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

With a paper towel, rub the outside of the potatoes with canola oil.  Place the potatoes on a baking sheet and bake for about 1 hour and 15 minutes, or until the potatoes are cooked inside and the skins are slightly crisp.

Turn the oven down to 300 degrees.

Dice the fried bacon into bits.  Throw the butter, sour cream, bacon, milk, seasoned salt, and pepper into a large bowl.

While the potatoes are still hot, hold each potato in a towel and cut in half lengthwise.  With a large spoon, scrape out the insides into the bowl with the other ingredients.  Repeat until all the potatoes have been scraped.  Reserve the potato shells on a large baking sheet.

Use a potato masher to mix the ingredients together.  Stir in 1 cup of the grated cheese.  Slice the green onions and add them to the bowl.  Stir, taste, and adjust the seasonings as necessary.

Fill each potato half with the potato mixture and return to the baking sheet.  Top with the remaining 1 cup grated cheese.  Bake in the 300 degree oven for about 15 minutes, until the cheese is melted and the potatoes are hot.

Pioneer Woman picture:

If you want step-by-step directions with pictures, go here: http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2007/07/twice_baked_pot/.  The recipe is older than the one in her cookbook, so I would follow this one and just look at hers for pictures.

Twice-Baked Potatoes ~ by Sarah

I made these (from my Pioneer Woman cookbook) the other night and they were delish!  Add them to the "very fattening" section of your recipe book!  The recipe makes a huge portion (16 potato halves), so I halved it and we still had some serious leftovers.  (One half is definitely filling.)

Ingredients:
8 baking potatoes, scrubbed clean
canola or vegetable oil
8 slices thick-cut bacon, fried
1/2 pound (two sticks) butter, cut into slices
1 c. sour cream
1/2 c. milk
pepper, garlic salt, and seasoned salt, to taste
2 c. grated sharp cheddar cheese
2 green onions, sliced

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.  With a paper towel, rub the outside of the potatoes with canola oil.  Place the potatoes on a baking sheet and bake for 45 minutes, or until the potatoes are cooked inside and the skins are slightly crisp.  Turn the oven down to 300 degrees.  Dice the fried bacon into bits.  Throw the butter, sour cream, bacon, milk, salt, and pepper into a large bowl.  While the potatoes are still hot, hold each potato in a towel and cut in half lengthwise.  With a large spoon, scrape out the insides into the bowl with the other ingredients.  Repeat until all the potatoes have been scraped.  Reserve the potato shells on a large baking sheet.  Use a potato masher to mix the ingredients together.  Stir in 1 cup of the grated cheese.  Slice the green onions.  Add them to the bowl.  Stir, taste, and adjust the seasonings as necessary.  Fill each potato half with the potato mixture and return to the baking sheet.  Top with the remaining cup of grated cheese.  Bake for 10 to 15 minutes, until the cheese is melted and the potatoes are hot.

I know it sounds like they're a lot of work, but they're really not.  And they are worth the effort!

Sour Cream Drop Biscuits ~ by Kelsey

I make these a lot.  They are easy to make and good to eat!  I got this from my Pillsbury cook book.

Ingredients:
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon sugar
3 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup shortening (or butter if, like me, you are out of shortening)
2/3 cup milk
2/3 cup sour cream

Heat oven to 450 degrees.  Grease cookie sheet.  In medium bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking powder and salt.  Mix well.  With fork, cut in shortening until mixture is crumbly.  In small bowl, combine milk and sour cream.  Blend well.  Add all at once to to flour mixture.  Stir just until dry ingredients are moistened.  Drop dough by tablespoonfuls onto greased cookie sheet.  Bake at 450 for 10 to 12 minutes or until golden brown.  Serve warm.  This recipe makes about 12 biscuits with 150 calories each.

Chicken Enchiladas with Green Chili Cream Sauce ~ by Aunt D'Lynn

Our family got this recipe at the 1994 Striker Family Reunion. Heidi Klindworth brought two trays of this dish to the reunion and stuck them in the fridge. Being the hungry sort that our family is, they got heated up and eaten before the reunion really even started! Thanks for the excellent recipe Cousin Heidi!

4 Large chicken breasts, thawed and cut into strips
1 C Sour Cream
10-12 flour tortillas
1 lb of grated cheddar/colby cheese
1 small can of diced green fire-roasted chilies
1 medium yellow onion, diced
1 tsp of diced garlic
1 small can of sliced black olives
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 can cream of mushroom soup
2 TB of butter
2 TB of olive oil
1 bunch of green onions, chopped
salt and pepper to taste

In a large saute pan, melt butter with olive oil, yellow onion, and green chilies. Add chicken and saute over low/med heat until chicken is cooked through. Salt and pepper strips lightly.

Add 1/2 lb of cheese, the cans of chicken and mushroom, and sour cream. Mix until all ingredients are incorporated and creamy. Add olives.

Fill each flour tortilla with mixture and create wraps. Place in a baking dish. Once dish is filled, use the left over sauce and pour over the wraps. Place foil over the baking dish.

Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes. Remove the foil and add a layer of cheese over the top. Place dish back into the oven for 10 minutes. Remove and enjoy!

Grape Salad ~ by Kelsey

I think I got this idea from my Aunt Janet, but it's been so long I can't really remember.

Ingredients:
Grapes (I like purple, and NOT organic)
Sour Cream
Brown Sugar

Wash the grapes and put them in a bowl.  Mix some sour cream with a little brown sugar.  It is up to you how much to use.  I like mine fairly coated, but you could use less if you are trying to cut calories.  Mix the sour cream and brown sugar gently into the grapes.  Refrigerate.  The kids and I love these!

Beef Stroganoff ~ by Sarah

This recipe is a combination of what Mom has always done and some things I've added and changed over the past few years when I've made it.  Wes could eat gallons of this stuff!

Ingredients:
2-3 lbs. beef (like petite sirloin, round steak, London broil, etc.), trimmed and cut into strips
olive oil
1-2 cloves of garlic, diced
1 can beef broth
Worcestershire sauce
garlic salt, seasoned salt, pepper to taste
1 medium package wide egg noodles
2 cans cream of mushroom soup
8 oz. sour cream
2 T. butter
1 package fresh mushrooms, sliced
fresh Italian flat-leaf parsley (you can use dried parsley flakes in a pinch)

Directions:
Heat a large skillet with olive oil over medium-high heat.  Add garlic, beef, and desired seasonings.  Cook just until beef is no longer pink on the outside.

 

Add the can of beef broth and a few good dashes of Worcestershire sauce to the beef.  Mix well, cover pan, and simmer for at least 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.  (Tougher cuts of beef like round steak may need a longer simmer time.  You want the meat to easily cut with a fork.)  Meanwhile, cook egg noodles according to package directions and set aside.  When meat is tender, add the two cans of soup and the sour cream to the pan and mix well.  Simmer over low heat until heated well throughout.

Meanwhile, saute mushrooms in butter until tender.  Chop parsley into small pieces.  Add noodles, mushrooms, and parsley to the beef and soup mixture.

 

Mix well and allow to simmer over low heat for a few minutes until heated uniformly.  Enjoy!

Sour Cream Pancakes ~ by Sarah

These are by far the best pancakes I've ever had. (Another Pioneer Woman recipe that has not failed to deliver!)  Seriously, these are delicious.  They almost remind me of a crepe, but thicker.  Make them, make them, make them!

Ingredients:
1 c. sour cream
7 T. all-purpose flour
1 T. sugar
1 t. baking soda
1/2 t. salt
2 large eggs
1/2 t. vanilla extract
butter
syrup

Directions:
Place an iron skillet or griddle over medium-low heat.  You want to get it nice and hot.  (I used an electric griddle set to about 350 degrees.)  Place the sour cream in a medium bowl.  Dump in the flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt.  Stir together very, very gently.  Stop short of the mixture being totally combined so that the pancakes have an interesting texture.  Whisk the eggs in a separate bowl.  Add the vanilla to the eggs and stir to combine.  Pour the egg mixture into the sour cream/flour mixture.  Stir together gently.  Don't worry about the mixture being totally combined; a little white and yellow swirling is fine.  Melt about a tablespoon of butter in the skillet (I sprayed my griddle with Pam to spare me some calories).  Pour the batter onto the skillet 1/4 cup at a time.  Cook for 1 to 1 1/2 minutes, then flip the pancakes over.  Cook for another 45 seconds and remove to a plate.  Top with butter and syrup as desired.

This recipe only made 7 4-inch pancakes, so if you have hearty appetites or a crowd, you'll probably want to double it.

Notice the lumps--they make them even better!

 

 

The Ultimate Cheesecake ~ by Molly

This is the cheesecake I made for Gavin's birthday last summer. It's one of my favorite recipes!

Recipe courtesy Tyler Florence (Food Network)


Prep Time:
30 min
Inactive Prep Time:
4 hr 35 min
Cook Time:
45 min
Level:
Intermediate
Serves:
6 to 8 servings
Ingredients:
Crust:
• 2 cups finely ground graham crackers (about 30 squares)
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 stick unsalted butter, melted
Filling:
• 1 pound cream cheese, 2 (8-ounce) blocks, softened
• 3 eggs
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 pint sour cream
• 1 lemon, zested
• 1 dash vanilla extract
• Warm Lemon Blueberry Topping, recipe follows
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.
In a mixing bowl, combine the crust ingredients with a fork until evenly moistened. Lightly coat the bottom and sides of an 8-inch springform pan with nonstick cooking spray. Pour the crumbs into the pan and, using the bottom of a measuring cup or the smooth bottom of a glass, press the crumbs down into the base and 1-inch up the sides. Refrigerate for 5 minutes.
For the Filling:
In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat the cream cheese on low speed for 1 minute until smooth and free of any lumps. Add the eggs, 1 at a time, and continue to beat slowly until combined. Gradually add sugar and beat until creamy, for 1 to 2 minutes. Add sour cream, lemon zest, and vanilla. Periodically scrape down the sides of the bowl and the beaters. The batter should be well mixed but not over-beaten. Pour the filling into the crust-lined pan and smooth the top with a spatula.
Set the cheesecake pan on a large piece of aluminum foil and fold up the sides around it. Place the cake pan in a large roasting pan. Pour boiling water into the roasting pan until the water is about halfway up the sides of the cheesecake pan; the foil will keep the water from seeping into the cheesecake. Bake for 45 minutes. The cheesecake should still jiggle (it will firm up after chilling), so be careful not to overcook. Let cool in pan for 30 minutes. Chill in the refrigerator, loosely covered, for at least 4 hours. Loosen the cheesecake from the sides of the pan by running a thin metal spatula around the inside rim. Unmold and transfer to a cake plate. Using a spatula spread a layer of Warm Lemon Blueberry topping over the surface.
Slice the cheesecake with a thin, non-serrated knife that has been dipped in hot water. Wipe dry after each cut.

Warm Lemon Blueberries:
• 1 pint blueberries
• 1 lemon, zested and juiced
• 2 tablespoons sugar
In a small saucepan add all the ingredients and simmer over medium heat for 5 minutes or so until the fruit begins to break down slightly. Leave to cool before spreading on cheesecake.