Cheesy Onion Bread

I've had this bread several times at baby showers and finally had to make it myself. It so fabulous! Just when you thought bread couldn't get any better...

1 round loaf sourdough bread
1 pound monterey jack cheese (I used a combination of cheddar, mozzarella and parmesan)
1 cube butter, melted
1/2 cup finely diced green onions, including the white part

2 teaspoons poppy seeds

Preheat oven to 350. Cut the bread going both directions, but do not cut through all the way to the bottom crust. Place slices of cheese between cuts (or if your cheese is shredded, sprinkle on top and make sure some gets in all the cracks.

Melt butter and spread evenly over bread. Sprinkle onions and poppyseeds evenly over bread, getting into the cracks. Wrap the top with tin foil and bake for 15 minutes. Unwrap and bake for 10 more minutes or until cheese is melted.

And in case you were wondering...if you get this craving (like I do almost every day!) and don't have any yummy crusty bread around, you can use a tortilla, dinner roll or any other bread like substance. It tastes amazing on just about anything!

Cranberry Cream Cheese Salad

This is my new favorite fruit salad. I'd never had it until last Thanksgiving when we ate with Anthony's relatives here in Kentucky. I don't know how I have been deprived of this for so many years, I think I enjoyed it more than the pie! I really recommend you use real cranberries here, your kids with thank you for not torturing them with the jelled kind. Also, the first time I made this I wasn't brave enough to try sour cream, so I used cool whip instead. It tasted good, but after trying both I prefer the sour cream (if you're going low-fat for everyday eating then you can use cool whip, for Thanksgiving or Christmas use the sour cream).

Salad:
1 package whole cranberries
1 1/2 cups boiling water

2 small packages raspberry jello (can also use strawberry)

1 20oz can crushed pineapple with juice

1/2 cup sugar

Topping:

1 cup pecans

2 8oz packages cream cheese, softened

1 cup powdered sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 1/2 cups sour cream (you could also use cool whip)

Cook cranberries according to package directions (boil water and sugar until cranberries pop). Drain. Boil water for jello. Stir water and jello in large bowl and mix until dissolved. Stir in cooked cranberries, pineaple (with juice) and 1/2 cup sugar. Pour into large 9x13 dish.

In a small bowl beat cream cheese and powdered sugar and vanilla until smooth and creamy. Stir in sour cream. Spread over cranberry salad and top with pecans. Refrigerate until firm, at least 1 hour. YUM!

Deep Dish Apple Pie

When I saw Grandma Ople's apple pie on Allrecipes had over 4,000 ratings, I knew it was a keeper. Here is the recipe with modifications. You can't go wrong with this one!

1 recipe pastry for a 9 inch double crust pie

1/2 cup butter

3 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1/4 cup water

1/2 cup white sugar

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

6-8 Granny Smith apples - peeled, cored and sliced (I also like macintosh)

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C). Melt the butter in a saucepan. Stir in flour to form a paste. Add water, white sugar and brown sugar, and bring to a boil. Reduce temperature and let simmer.

Place the bottom crust in your pan. Mix apples with 2/3 of cinnamon sugar mixture. Pour apples into pie crust, piled high.

Cover with a lattice work of crust. I roll mine out into a rectangle and cut with a pizza roller, pretty simple! Gently pour the remaining sugar and butter liquid over the crust. Pour slowly so that it does not run off.

Bake 15 minutes in the preheated oven. Reduce the temperature to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Continue baking for 35 to 45 minutes, until apples are soft

*I pre-bake my crust at 425 for 8 minutes before I add my apples so that it doesn't get soggy, you could brush it with egg whites instead.

Best Ever Whole Wheat Rolls!

Rolls are my favorite thing to make (and eat!) I have been making bread & rolls since I was a kid and I can pretty much guarantee you'll never find a better recipe. Below is whole wheat roll recipe.

My favorite white roll recipe is here and it is to die for. Potato flakes are optional on the white roll recipe but mandatory on the whole wheat- it really does make a difference.

Whole Wheat Rolls

4 1/2 teaspoons yeast
1 cup warm water
1/4 cup honey
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup olive oil (or melted butter)
2/3 cup potato water (water used to boil potatoes) *optional
2 tablespoons dough enhancer (optional but it does make them lighter)
5 1/2 to 6 cups freshly ground white whole wheat

Combine yeast, water and honey, cover until foamy. Mix potato flakes with water and stir until dissolved (it should be watery). Add olive oil (or butter), salt and one cup of flour, mix. Add flour one cup at a time until dough pulls away from sides of bowl and soft dough forms. Knead 10 minutes. Cover and let rise 1 hour until double in size. Form into balls, cover and let rise until double. Bake at 375 degrees for 15-20 minutes. Brush with melted butter.

Pumpkin Pie with crumb topping

Read my post here on how to cook a pumpkin- seriously it only takes 10 minutes in the microwave and I promise fresh tastes SO much better than canned! I have never liked pumpkin pie until a few years ago when I learned how to make it with fresh pumpkin. It makes all the difference.

I won't say this is the best recipe because I have not liked pumpkin pie long enough to try many recipes, but I will say I like it, and that's saying a lot.

1 small pumpkin (2-3 cups once it's cooked and mashed)

1 can evaporated milk

2 eggs

1 1/2 cups sugar

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ginger

1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon allspice

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 9" unbaked pie shell see here for recipe

Crumb Topping

2 tablespoons flour

1/4 cup brown sugar

1 teaspoon cinnamon

2 tablespoons butter, chilled

1 cup chopped walnuts

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Cook pumpkin in microwave for 10 minutes. Scoop out flesh and all pie ingredients into a blender. Mix until smooth. Pour into unbaked pie crust. Bake for 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, mix flour, sugar, cinnamon and butter until crumbly. Stir in walnuts.  Sprinkle topping over pie. Reduce heat to 350 degrees and bake for an additional 40 minutes or until set.  

Lemon Meringue Pie

It's just not Thanksgiving without a piece of lemon meringe pie! 

1 cup white sugar
2 tablespoons all purpose flour
3 tablespoons cornstarch
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups water
2 lemons, juiced & zested (about 3/4 cup)
2 tablespoons butter
4 egg yolks, beaten

1 9" pie crust baked

4 egg whites

6 tablespoons sugar

Preheat oven to 350. To make lemon filling, mix sugar, flour, cornstarch and salt in a saucepan. Stir in water, lemon juice and lemon zest. Cook over medium heat stirring constantly until mixture comes to a boil. Stir in butter.

Mix about 1/2 cup of hot mixture into the egg yolks, beat and stir back into saucepan. Bring to a boil and continue to cook until thick (about a minute). Be sure to continue to stir or the sugar will burn on the bottom of the pan.  Pour filling into baked pastry shell.

In large glass or copper bowl whip egg whites and sugar until stiff peaks form. Spread meringue over warm pie, sealing the edges at the crust. Bake in preheated oven for 10 minutes or until meringue is golden brown. Cool completely.

Pecan Pie- no corn syrup!

I have always loved pecan pie but the sweetness almost made me sick. I've since discovered pecan pie without corn syrup is so much better and is still sweet but not over the top. Allrecipes has the best pie recipes and this one is pretty good and about the easiest pie you could make.

1 cup light brown sugar

1/4 cup white sugar

1/2 cup butter, melted

2 eggs

1 tablespoon all purpose flour

1 tablespoon milk

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 cup chopped pecans

1 pie crust recipe (http://ldsbaker.blogspot.com/2010/11/pie-crust.html)

Preheat oven to 400. In medium bowl beat eggs, sugar, butter and flour until well mixed. Stir in milk, vanilla and nuts. Pour into unbaked 9" pie shell and bake for 10 minutes. Reduce temperature to 300 degrees and bake for another 40-50 minutes or just until top starts to crack. Cool and serve!

All Butter Pie Crust

Pies are one thing I will not eat from the store. They just can't even compare to homemade, especially the crust. Homemade pie crust is so simple to make and tastes so much better. This recipe is for a 2-crust pie, if you're only making one you can half it, or if you're making more double it- I doubled mine and made 4 pies plus a lattice top and still had enough left over for mini pies or another lattice top.

King Arthur Flour 2 crust Pie Dough 

2 1/2 cup all purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup butter (2 cubes)

1/4 to 1/2 cup ice water

Mix flour and salt. Work in crisco with a pastry blender (or mix in a food processor) until resembles fine crumbs. Slowly add water in, mixing until mixture starts to stick together. Then you need to mix with your hands. It's just like making tortillas, you can feel when it's done- you do not want it to be too wet- it should be soft, not sticky. Just keep kneading and adding water until the dough is soft, do not over-knead.

Sprinkle some flour and roll dough out. I love my marble rolling pin for starting the crust, but the pizza roller works best for forming into a perfect circle. Make the crust 3 or more inches larger than your pie plate. I roll on a pastry sheet and then simply invert over the pie pan. Trim the crust 1/4 inch if you're doing a pinched crust or trim along the pan line if you're doing a simple pressed fork crust. This website has some great tips: http://whatscookingamerica.net/piecrsthint.htm 

Pie crust is really so simple, if you tear it or are short on one end, simply roll another small piece and push it on top and smooth it in, you really can't mess this up! If you need to bake crust without filling, prick with fork all around crust then bake at 400 for 20-25 minutes or until golden.

  

New World Chili

To go along with my post on pumpkins- here's a yummy fall recipe to try. I've made it several times before but forgot how easy it really was to make. I whipped it up in less than 30 minutes and that includes the cooking of the pumpkin. Like all soups/chili's you can mix up the beans and veggies any way you like and it's so easy to shrink or expand the batch. If you follow my version of this recipe it makes a big batch enough for 2 meals (unless you have a really big family!) I like to freeze half and save for another day when I'm too busy to make dinner.

3 cans diced tomatoes (14.5oz)
2 cans black beans, rinsed & drained
1 can kidney beans, rinsed & drained
1 8oz can tomato sauce (I used spaghetti sauce)
1 small pumpkin or butternut squash, seeded, cooked, peeled and chopped
1 cup chicken broth
1/2 onion chopped
1 cup frozen whole kernel corn
1 cup dried cranberries
1 can green chilies (I didn't have any and it still tasted great)
1 tablespoon chili powder (or to taste)
1 teaspoon cumin (or to taste)
2 cloves garlic
4oz monterey jack cheese, shredded

Cut pumpkin in half, remove seeds and place cut side down on microwave safe dish. Cook 10 minutes. Meanwhile, in large stockpot add all remaining ingredients except cheese, and cook until heated through, 15-20 minutes. Peel skin off pumpkin and chop into cubes. Stir into chili mixture. Top each serving with cheese.

*original recipe stirred in 2 cups shredded fresh spinach, I have not tried this but bet it would be yummy
*original recipe includes chicken breast, I went meatless, but think shredded chicken or turkey would be a great addition

How to cook pumpkin or butternut squash

I'm posting this information because I used to be intimidated by real pumpkins but have learned how easy it really is. And since it's the time of year, I'll be posting several recipes with pumpkin. I highly recommend using fresh, it tastes sooo much better. Also, butternut squash is an excellent substitute for pumpkin, in fact I think it makes better pumpkin pie than pumpkin. So you can exchange butternut squash for pumpkin and vice versa.

To cook either of these, simply cut off the stem, cut in half, remove all the seeds, place cut side down on a microwave safe pan (the pampered chef small bar pan works perfect for this) and microwave on high for 10 minutes (if you're using a large pumpkin you'll need to increase the time- you can usually tell because the top will start to cave in and the flesh will be soft). That's it! Let cool a bit then scrape out the flesh, mash or puree and use in your favorite recipe. I prefer a bit of texture in mine just because it feels homemade. You can also scoop into freezer bags and freeze, makes it easy to pull out and make yummy recipes like these pumpkin muffins.

 

No Bake Peanut Butter Pie

This is one of my all time favorites. It's super easy to make and so yum. This recipe fills two store-bought graham cracker crusts so is also a perfect no-bake pie to give away. It also freezes really well.

Peanut Butter Pie

1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened

1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1 cup peanut butter
1 cup milk
1 (16 ounce) package frozen whipped topping, thawed
2 (9 inch) prepared graham cracker crusts
Semi-sweet chocolate for topping

Beat together cream cheese and powdered sugar. Mix in peanut butter and milk. Beat until smooth. Fold in whipped topping. Pour into two 9 inch graham cracker pie crusts.

Melt chocolate chips in microwavable bowl just until melted, stirring occasionally. With a spatula or spoon drizzle chocolate over the top of pie.

Cover and refrigerate (you can also freeze if you don't want to wait as long) until firm.

Cuban Black Bean Soup

Have I mentioned that I love black beans??? This soup is yum. Doesn't look too appetizing, but it really is good. And can't get much easier.

1/2 onion chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 teaspoon oil

2 cans black beans

1 tablespoon cumin (to taste)

1 cup chicken broth

1 cup salsa

1/2 cup sour cream

Heat oil in large pan, cook onions and garlic until golden. Add black beans and mash with potato masher or food chopper (I mash mine right in the pan). If you prefer a smoother soup, use a blender, I just prefer chunky soup. Stir in cumin, chicken broth and salsa and cook until heated through. Stir in sour cream. Garnish with sour cream, avocado, tortilla strips, and cilantro.

Cilantro Lime Rice with Black Beans

I love Chipotle, this is my rendition of lime rice- I used barley because I have a ton of it, but you could also use rice.

1 cup barley (or rice)

1 tablespoon oil

2 cups chicken broth

1 lime

1 can black beans

1/2 bunch cilantro, chopped
1/2 teaspoon Cumin (or to taste)
S&P to taste

Heat the oil over medium heat, add barley and cook until browned. Stir in chicken broth and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and cover, simmering 30 to 40 minutes or until barley/rice is tender. Microwave lime for 30 seconds, slice in half and squeeze juice over barley/rice. Stir in black beans and cilantro. Makes a great filler for burritos.

Black Bean Salad aka Cowboy Caviar

This is one of my favorite dishes because it's so simple and so healthy. It is my "go to" dish when I'm exhausted and don't feel like cooking. You can eat it warm or cold, with a spoon, tortilla, or chips. Plain, over rice, or lettuce. So versatile, and did I mention healthy?

2 cans black beans
1 can corn, drained or 1 cup frozen corn, thawed
1/2 cup chopped green onion
1 avocado, chopped
1 bunch cilantro, chopped
2 tomatoes, chopped (or 1 can diced tomatoes)
1/2 cup zesty italian dressing
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice

Chop the tomatoes, onion, avocado and cilantro and toss with beans and spices. Here is a great recipe for zesty italian dressing (I simply mixed a little olive oil, garlic powder, honey and italian seasoning together and liked it much more than the storebought stuff I used to buy). Refrigerating it for a few hours helps the flavors to soak in and give the beans a good flavor.

For an even healthier boost- try adding some cooked quinoa to the salad.

Fudgy Brownies

I love brownies that are soft in the center but have that crunchy glazed texture on the top, these are delish.

1 1/3 cup sugar
3/4 cup cocoa powder
3/4 cup butter, softened
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 cup flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup chopped walnuts or pecans
1/4 cup chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350. Grease and flour a small baking pan (I use an 8x8" square). Cream butter, sugar and cocoa powder. Stir in eggs and vanilla. Mix in flour, baking powder and salt until well blended. Fold in chocolate chips and walnuts. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let cool before serving (they're so fudgy they'll fall apart if they don't have a chance to cool). And if you prefer them to be more fudgy let them under cook a bit, if you cook completely they'll be a bit more cake-like.

Creamy Vanilla Ice Cream

Fall is just about here, I have to post this last yummy ice cream recipe!

It's an egg custard ice cream and it actually stays soft in the freezer. The key to soft ice cream is to whip enough air into it. If you have a small ice cream maker (2qt or smaller) either half the recipe or only mix half at a time in your mixer otherwise it will be rock solid. And if it does turn out solid, you can let it get soft and re-mix it (but it's just easier to do it right the first time).

2 eggs

1 cup sugar

2 1/2 cups whipping cream

2 cups milk (I've used 1% and 2%)

2 1/4 teaspoons vanilla

In saucepan mix all ingredients except vanilla. Cook over medium low heat stirring constantly until candy thermometer reaches 160 degrees. Cool by setting pan in ice and continue stirring. Refrigerate or freeze until completely cooled, then mix in ice cream freezer according to directions. For softer ice cream be sure to mix well.

Banana Muffins

These are the yummiest banana muffins, they taste just like banana bread. Sometimes I make the crumb topping with oats, you can also make it without. If you want to go healthier you can add 1/2 cup oats to the batter- it makes it a tad drier so I'd recommend adding another banana if you have one, but it still tastes delicious either way.

1 1/2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 ripe bananas, mashed
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
1/2 cup butter
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup walnuts, chopped

Crumb topping
1/3 cup brown sugar
2 tablespoons flour
1/8 teaspoon cinnamon
1 tablespoon butter
2 tablespoons oats (optional)

Mix wet ingredients, then stir in dry ingrients until well mixed. Stir in nuts. Mix crumb topping. Pour batter into greased muffin pan and top with crumb topping. Bake at 375 for 20 minutes.

*You can also use this for banana bread- makes a smaller loaf- just bake for 50-60 minutes.
*I'm lazy and sometimes don't make the topping, they still taste great- I just usually add a bit more brown sugar to compensate...

Sloppy Joes (lentil style)

If you tried the lentil tacos and enjoyed them, I think you'll really like these. I've been wanting to try it for a while and finally got the courage. They are really yummy. Either use the recipe below or just mix in with your favorite canned sloppy joe mix (I'm partial to the home made kind).

1 cup lentils

2 1/2 cups water

1 cup chicken broth

1/4 cup chopped onion

1/4 cup chopped bell pepper

1 clove minced garlic

1 teaspoon mustard

3/4 cup ketchup

3 teaspoons brown sugar

s&p to taste

Boil lentils in water with chicken broth, reduce heat to medium and cook until tender, 45 minutes to an hour. In a skillet over medium heat saute onions, pepper and garlic in a tablespoon of oil. Stir in mustard, ketchup and brown sugar and simmer for 30 minutes. Stir in lentils and serve on hamburger buns.

Kentucky Griddle Cakes

I always assumed griddle cakes were just a southern name for pancakes. Not so. They are made from cornmeal. I'm not a huge fan of cornmeal but I'm always up for trying something new. This is a fun substitute for break in lunches or for breakfast.

I like to use them for BLT's with ranch dressing instead of mayo, or as a breakfast sandwich with eggs and sausage.

1 cup cornmeal (white or yellow)
1/2 cup flour
1 tablespoon sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1 cup milk (buttermilk if you have it)

1 egg

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 tablespoon honey

4-5 slices cooked, chopped bacon (or bacon bits)

Mix all dry ingredients then mix in milk, egg, oil and honey. Stir in cooked bacon. Should resemble pancake batter, but the bacon will slip to the bottom so mix well between each batch. Heat a griddle over medium heat and spread with butter or spray with oil. Pour evenly sized pancakes and cook until brown on the bottom, flip and finish cooking just like regular pancakes. Best if served warm.

*These freeze really well- freeze individually then store in freezer bags, to reheat put in toaster for a few minutes.

Grilled Pizza

Pizza Dough

4+ cups flour (all purpose or whole wheat)
2 cups warm water
1 1/2 teaspoon salt
2 1/4 teaspoons yeast

Mix warm water and yeast until bubbly. Stir in salt and flour one cup at a time until soft dough forms (should be soft but not be sticky). Set aside and let rise until double in size. Divide dough into small balls and on a well floured/oiled surface, roll each into a small circle about the size of a plate.

Prepare your toppings and have them out by the grill ready to top. Place dough on grill over medium heat and cook just until bottom is firm and has nice grill marks- 2-3 minutes. Flip, add toppings, close lid and continue cooking until bottom is firm and cheese is melted (if cheese is still not melted move to top rack or you can broil in the oven).

I use this dough for pizza & breadsticks and if you want to add yummy flavor to your crust- just mix in 1/3 cup or so of pesto when you add the flour.

  

Favorite combinations:

Basil Pesto, Grilled Chicken, Cheese, Broccoli

Lighthouse Ranch Dressing (or other fresh ranch), Spinach, Tomatoes, Cheese, bacon bits

Chocolate Mousse Ice Cream

This tastes identical to chocolate mousse when it's fresh, but freeze it for a few hours and it's chocolate heaven.

2/3 cup sugar
1/3 cup cocoa powder
3 egg yolks, beaten
2 2/3 cups heavy cream
1/3 cup semi sweet chocolate chips

In blender or food processor blend chocolate chips until fine, reserve for later use.

In bowl mix sugar and cocoa, stir in eggs and whipping cream until well combined. Stir in chocolate chips and pour in ice cream maker and let churn until thickened. If you don't have an ice cream maker, mix in blender and freeze until firm. YUM.

Strawberry Cheesecake Ice Cream

It's so hot lately I've been making ice cream like crazy, so this is one of about 4 recipes I'll be sharing this summer. This is some seriously yummy ice cream!

2 cups strawberries (I used frozen berries, thawed)
4 oz cream cheese, softened
1 cup milk
1 cup whipping cream
1/2 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla

Crush strawberries with potato masher or food chopper. In large mixing bowl beat cream cheese and sugar until smooth. Add remaining ingredients just until combined. Add to ice cream maker and mix according to directions.

Almond Crusted Halibut Symphony

I've been trying to learn to like fish or at least be able to tolerate it. I tried making fish tacos with tilapia and just couldn't bring myself to eat more than a bite or two. Anthony was feeling like fish tonight so I suggested he try this recipe that I'd been meaning to make for quite a while now but couldn't bring myself to do it in case it turned out like my fish taco diaster. I was pleasantly surprised- the halibut had hardly any fish flavor. The dish was amazing- it tasted fabulous, looked fabulous and was an absolutely perfect dinner alongside garlic mashed potatoes and steamed green beans. It seems complex at first, but it was simple enough my husband was able to make it with hardly any help from myself. So if you're like me and don't eat fish, try this- it really has no fishy flavor!

Almond Crusted Halibut Symphony

Ingredients:

3 filets halibut
1 tablespoon butter

Buerre Blanc Sauce

1 tablespoon water
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
1/4 teaspoon thyme
1 bay leaf
1/3 cup heavy cream
1 cube butter cut into tablespoon-sized pieces
2 tablespoons minced shallots (I used chopped fresh chives)1teaspoon lemon juice

salt and pepper to taste

Topping

1/4 cup bread crumbs

2/3 cup sliced almonds

1 tablespoon butter, melted

1 egg, lightly beaten

Heat 1 tablespoon butter in frying pan. Over medium heat, saute halibut filets for 2 to 3 minutes or until golden brown on one side. Flip over, cover with lid and turn off heat. Let halibut continue cooking in hot pan until golden brown on the other side.

Make buerre blanc: in small saucepan over medium heat combine water, vinegar, shallots (or fresh chopped chives), thyme and bay leaf. Boil until liquid has evaporated, remove bay leaf. Stir in cream and boil until liquid is reduced by half. Whisk in butter 1 piece at a time. Stir in lemon juice, salt and pepper. Turn off heat but let sauce remain on stove to keep warm.

Topping: In a small bowl melt butter and stir in bread crumbs and almonds. In another small bowl beat egg.

Transfer halibut to a cookie sheet and turn oven to broil. Brush egg on top of filets and top with bread crumb topping. Broil for 2-3 minutes until golden brown- watch carefully because it will cook quickly.