Kielbasa Potato Salad March 16, 2008

Ingredients
9 Potatoes (cut into 1 inch chunks)
8 oz. Kielbasa (cooked and cut)
1 C. Celery
1/2 C. Red Onion (Sliced)

Dressing:
1/2 C. Light Mayo
1/2 C. Reduced Fat Sour Cream
1/4 C. Water
2 T. Dijon Mustard
1 t. Salt
1/2 t. Pepper

Method
1. Boil potatoes and combine in bowl with kielbasa, celery and onion.
2. Mix dressing ingredients and combine with potatoes. Cover and chill

Notes: This recipe is excellent–I’ve had people who tell me they HATE potato salad request seconds of this. It’s great for a BBQ.

Gorgonzola Burgers March 16, 2008

Ingredients
1-8 oz. Pkg. Cream Cheese (softened)
1/3 Lb. Gorgonzola Cheese (crumbled)
3 Lbs. Ground Beef
Salt and Pepper

Method
1. Combine cream cheese and gorgonzola. Season beef with salt and pepper.
2. Form patties very thin. Top with cheese mixture, then another thin patty. Grill to desired doneness.

Laura’s Crockpot Chalupas March 16, 2008

Ingredients
Ground Beef, Pork Shoulder Roast or Chicken Breasts
1-2 Cans Pinto Beans and Liquid
1-2 Cans Diced Green Chilies
Salt, Pepper, Garlic, Onion and Cumin

Method
1. Combine all in a crock pot and cook on low all day or high 4-5 hours.
2. Serve over nachos, in bowl like chile, dress like tacos or burritos, etc.

Notes: This recipe comes from Laura who was adopting from Ethiopia at the same time as us. We were all trying to find new recipes that would make a bunch of food for freezing so we’d have meals ready to go when we came home from Ethiopia with our kids. Laura said she catered her own wedding using this recipe and that everyone loved it, so I had to give it a try. It’s amazing!! Don’t let the simplicity fool you–this makes the meat taste exactly like it does in your favorite Mexican restaurant. We usually make it with Pork, then turn it into burritos, enchiladas, tortilla soup, etc.

Sarah’s Nanny’s Pancakes March 16, 2008

Ingredients
2 C. Flour (all whole wheat is fine)
3 t. Baking Powder
1/2 t. Salt
2 Eggs
2 1/2 C. Whole Milk
4 T. Oil
Chocolate Chips, Fresh Fruit, etc.

Method
1. Mix all ingredients together and cook over medium heat in an oiled pan. If adding chocolate chips or fruit, then drop onto each pancake after pour into pan. Serve with maple syrup.

Notes: This is an old family recipe from my friend Sarah. These pancakes are awesome and the best homemade pancakes we’ve tried. Bryan makes these for us every Sunday morning.

Berry Baked French Toast March 16, 2008

Ingredients
8 oz. Loaf of Bread (Sliced)
4 Eggs (Beaten)
2 C. Skim Milk
1/4 C. Sugar
1 T. Vanilla
2/3 C. Flour
1/3 C. Brown Sugar
1/2 t. Cinnamon
3 T. Butter
1 C. Frozen Blueberries
1 C. Frozen Strawberries
Whipped Cream

Method
1. Grease rectangular baking dish and arrange bread.
2. Mix eggs, milk, granulated sugar and vanilla. Pour over bread. Press into bread with back of spoon. Cover and chill overnight.
3. Combine flour, brown sugar, butter and cinnamon. Cover and chill overnight.
4. Before baking, top bread with berries and butter mix. Bake, uncovered at 350 degrees 25-30 minutes. Top with whipped cream.

Notes: This is excellent for a brunch or holiday morning meal because it’s all made the night before. It’s very tasty and also freezes really well.

Tapenade Goat Cheese Canapes March 15, 2008

Ingredients
Puff Pastry (Pepperidge Farm, find it in the frozen food section near the frozen pie shells)
1 C. Tapenade
1 C. Goat Cheese/Chevre (Crumbled)
1 T. Fresh Thyme

Method
1. Bake puff pastry at 350 for 25-35 minutes until golden brown. Cool about 30 minutes.
2. Thinly spread tapenade over top of puff pastry and sprinkle with goat cheese. Press goat cheese into tapenade so it sticks. Sprinkle with thyme. Cut into squares.

Play Dough March 15, 2008

Ingredients
1 C. Flour
1 T. Oil
2 t. Cream of Tartar
1/2 C. Salt
1 C. Water
Food Coloring

Method
1. Mix all together, add food coloring and cook 3 minutes on low.

Notes: Recipe from my friend Kim!

Enchiladas March 15, 2008

Ingredients
2 C. Chicken or Pork
1 C. Onion (Diced)
1/3 C. White Wine
2/3 C. Chicken Broth
2 1/2 T. Garlic (Chopped)
2 t. Pepper
2 t. Oregano
2 1/2 t. Salt
2 1/2 Limes (Juiced)
1 Can Pinto Beans
1 C. Cheddar Cheese (Shredded)

Method
1. Combine all ingredients except cheddar cheese in crock pot and cook all day.
2. Roll meat mixture in softened tortillas (the par baked ones work especially well here, as do homemade ones made from a mix).
3. Pour sauce from crock pot over top of rolled enchiladas, cover with cheese and bake at 400 for 20-25 minutes.

Notes: These can be made very easily using the Laura’s Crock Pot Chalupas (recipe on this blog) recipe as the filling, then just covering with cheese and baking. I do that if I have leftover (frozen) chalupa meat. Great with Green Chile (recipe on this blog).

Cinnamon Pumpkin Seed Brittle March 15, 2008

Ingredients
1/4 C. Butter (cut into chunks)
1 t. Baking Soda
1 T. Vanilla Extract
1 1/2 t. Cinnamon
1/2 t. Salt
2 1/2 C. Sugar
1/3 C. Light Corn Syrup
1 1/2 C. Toasted Pumpkin Seeds

Method
1. Lightly butter 10×15 baking pan. In small bowl, stir baking soda and vanilla to dissolve. In another bowl, stir together cinnamon and salt.
2. In a saucepan over medium-low heat, stir together sugar, 1/2 C. water, corn syrup and 1/4 C. butter until butter is melted and sugar dissolved. Increase heat to medium and boil, stirring occasionally until it turns a deep amber.
3. Remove sugar mixture from heat and carefully stir in vanilla and cinnamon mixtures. Immediately stir in pumpkin seeds and pour into pan, using spoon to smooth out and evenly fill pan. Let cool at room temperature 30-40 minutes. Gently twist pan to release brittle, then break into chunks.

Notes: This would be a great “after carving the Halloween pumpkins” dessert treat. It could also be given as a Halloween gift for a party if left in pan, tied with a ribbon and presented with a cute, new hammer.

Ginger Passion Martini March 15, 2008

Ingredients
1 Shot Ginger Beer
1 Shot Passion Fruit Nectar
1 Shot Citron Vodka

Method
1. Fill cocktail shaker with ice. Add ingredients, shake to mix well. Serve in martini glass

Notes: Recipe from my friend Kim!