Chicken Chili

This chili is more of a soup consistency but the flavor is spectacular! We served with toasted sourdough which was a perfect match.

Ingredients:

olive oil

1 really large onion, diced (or 2 smaller ones)

2 anaheim peppers, diced

2 cloves of garlic, minced

6 cups chicken stock

6 or more chicken thighs
1 can black beans, drained
2 teaspoon fresh oregano, chopped
2 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground black pepper

Shredded cheese for serving (we used cheddar)

Directions:
In a stock pot saute onion and peppers in a little olive oil for a few minutes until softened. Add the garlic and saute a minute or so more. Add in the chicken thighs and cover with chicken stock (add more if needed). Add in all the spices. Boil for 15 minutes or so until chicken is fully cooked. 

Remove chicken and shred then put back in pot and keep warm until you're ready to serve. 

Top with cheddar.

Everyday French Bread

• 1 cup warm water 
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 2½ teaspoons yeast
• 2 tablespoons oil
• 1½ teaspoons salt
• 3 cups flour

Instructions

In the bowl of your stand mixer with fitted with the dough hook add sugar and water. Stir to dissolve sugar and sprinkle with yeast.

Add oil, salt and flour then turn on your mixer. Let it incorporate the ingredients and knead until your dough seems smooth.When you are satisfied, place in greased bowl flipping to cover both side.

Cover and let rise 1 hour.

Punch down and let it rise again... about 30 minutes.

Pull out and flatten out into a rectangle. Roll it up and tuck the ends under pinching gently. Place on greased baking sheet, cover and let rise 30-60 minutes.

At the end of that time, preheat oven to 375 degrees. Brush with egg was for harder crust.

Give it a couple quick swipes with a serrated knife.

Bake for 25 minutes.

Macaroni and Cheese

I've tried so many scratch recipes for macaroni and cheese. I was raised on Kraft rather than the old fashioned baked stuff so I could never come around to really liking it.

We found a brewery around here that the hubster and I love to frequent when we get boy-less time (which is hardly ever, but still). They serve a macaroni and cheese with smoked gouda and ham. We liked it so much we were trying to go back just for that so I started trying to find a recipe to make it at home so we could all enjoy it. 

This is where I ended up.
I vary this recipe with different types of cheese and different add-ins. It's been a hit every time. Most often it's ham with smoked gouda but I add in steamed broccoli at the end. 

1/4 cup unsalted butter
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup milk
2 cup heavy cream
2 cup shredded cheese (we have used cheddar and smoked gouda)
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
1 tsp dry mustard
1lb, pasta


Start cooking pasta according to package directions while you work on the sauce. When it's ready, drain and set aside.
In a large pot on medium high heat, add butter until melted. Whisk in the flour and cook for about one minute. Reduce heat to medium and add milk, heavy cream, salt, dry mustard and pepper. Continue whisking until it begins to bubble. Reduce to low and add white cheddar. Stir until melted.
Add cooked pasta and whatever extra add-ins sound good at the moment.

Vanilla Donut Holes

Who doesn't like a sweet breakfast? We've made these quite a few times in the past. They came back around because we're on spring break from homeschooling this week! This mama has been sleeping in and feeling much more indulgent with our breakfasts. Yum!

Donut
1 1/3 cups all purpose flour
1/3 cup sugar
1 Tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup sour cream
1/4 cup oil
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla

Glaze
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
2 Tablespoons milk (more or less to desired consistency)

Mix together all the dry ingredients then incorporate the wet until well blended. Put tablespoon size drops into your cake pop/ donut hole machine.
While they're cooking, stire together glaze ingredients. Dip warm balls into the glaze and dry until crusted.

Nutella Cupcakes

I teach cake decorating at our local craft store. It's a pretty fun little side job that gives me a reason to get me out of the house for a little bit each week. Part of the curriculum I teach requires me to make cupcakes one week and a cake the next week. Being generally opposed to settling for cake mixes and bored of the usual vanilla and chocolate options, I am often on the look out for new recipes to take to class with me. This week was no different. I got it into mind that I wanted to have Nutella cupcakes to take with me. Who doesn't like Nutella, right?
After much searching I didn't find anything I was satisfied with so I revamped a recipe myself and got this! Oh my goodness! You have to try them! For class I covered them with the class buttercream but at home I just put a dollop of extra Nutella on top. Amazing! Try them! You'll love them.

1 1/3 cup all purpose flour
1/3 cup cocoa powder
1 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup canola oil
1/2 cup  nutella
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 cup milk

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix all the dry ingredients together in a large bowl. Mix in the oil, Nutella, eggs and vanilla until completely incorporated. Should be nice and thick at this point. Slowly mix in the sour cream and milk until a uniform consistency. Pour into liner-filled cupcake pan. Bake for 20-25 minutes, using a toothpick test to check for done-ness. Top with whatever sounds great and enjoy!

Upside-down Plum Cake

3/4 cup butter, softened (divided)
3/4 cup light brown sugar
1 tablespoon honey
4 large plums, cut into segments
1 1/2  cups flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/8 teaspoon cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup white sugar
2 eggs
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon almond extract
1/2 cup milk

Preheat oven to 350F. Grease a 9-in pan with 2-in sides.

In a skillet melt HALF the butter with honey and sugar over medium heat, stirring until smooth sauce forms. Pour sauce into prepared cake pan, arrange plum segments on top.

Mix flour, baking powder, spices and salt in a medium bowl, set aside. With a mixer, whip remaining butter and sugar until creamy. Add eggs and both extracts and whip until white and fluffy. Add 1/3 flour mixture, mix until just blended. Add 1/2 milk, then 1/3 flour, the rest of milk and flour, mixing until just combined.

Pour batter over plums, bake until golden, about 1 hr. Let cool in pan for about 15 min, run a knife around the edges and carefully invert onto serving platter.

Coffee-Crusted Pork Chops with Bourbon Cream Sauce

Good friends bought us Weber's "Real Cooking" book several years ago. We have never been disappointed with a recipe we tried from it. This particular recipe is one of the best yet! As usual, I changed the recipe quite a bit while I was cooking it so this is my version.

Sauce:
1T butter
1t minced garlic
1t onion powder
1/4c bourbon (we used Jack Daniels)
1c low-sodium beef stock
6T heavy cream
1/2t dried thyme
Salt and pepper to taste

Rub:
1t dark-roasted coffee
1/2t dried thyme
1t kosher salt
1/2t fresh ground pepper

4 boneless pork loin chops about 1 inch thick
Olive oil

For the sauce:
In a saucepan over medium heat melt the butter and cook garlic for just a minute. Add onion powder then remove from heat. Carefully add bourbon then return to the heat (it may flame up). Reduce heat to medium and add stock and cream. Simmer until reduced to about 1/3c stirring occasionally. Add remaining seasoning to desired taste and serve over the cooked pork chops. We found this was delicious with our steamed broccoli as well!

For the chops:
Make the rub in a small bowl, mixing together all the ingredients. Spray or brush both sides of pork chops with olive oil then rub seasoning into the pork chops and let them come to room temperature for about 20-30 minutes.
 Grill over direct medium heat until barely pink in the center of the meat, about 8-10 minutes, turning once. Rest for a few minutes then serve.

Spent Grain Beer Bread

Since recently my hubbie has gotten into making his own beer I've tried to find a few recipes of things I could make with the things leftover from it. One of the big ones is the "spent grain" or the grains that are leftover after they've been boiled. I have read that they are still quite nutritious and they give a unique flavor to this bread that I've made twice now. The bread tastes different depending on the type of grain you use so it's always new!

3/4c warm water
2T active dry yeast
3/4c milk
1/4c unsalted butter
4 1/2T sugar
1T salt
1c apple juice
1/4c honey
1 1/2c spent grain
1c wheat flour
4-5c unbleached all purpose flour
oil to coat bowl
1 egg, lightly beaten

Pour the warm water into the bowl of your electric mixer. Sprinkle the yeast on top and let set for a few minutes. Heat milk and butter until the butter melts, either in the microwave or on the stove. Add in sugar, salt, apple juice and honey. Add into the mixing bowl.
Add the spent grain reserving 2T if you'd like to put some on top to decorate at the end. Add whole wheat flour and mix thoroughly. Add all-purpose flour a little at a time until no longer sticky. Knead for several minutes with the dough hook attachment. Oil the bowl and let rise for 30-60 minutes or until doubled in size.
Form into 2 loaves and brush on the egg wash and rise again until doubled in size.
Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Bake loaves for 45 minutes or until a toothpick test comes out clean.

Fresh Strawberry Pecan Cookies

I took this batch of cookies to a mom's night out ages ago. Even recently I've had people ask for the recipe!

1 1/2c white sugar
1c butter
1/2T baking soda
2 eggs
1 pint strawberries, pureed
3c flour
1t salt
3/4c pecans

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease or line cookie sheets.
Cream together butter and sugar then mix in eggs and strawberry puree until just blended. Stir in the rest of the dry ingredients. Drop by rounded tablespoons onto baking sheets and back for 8-10 minutes.

Snickerdoodle Cookies

1c butter softened
1 1/2c white sugar
2 eggs
2t vanilla
2 3/4c flour
2t cream of tartar
1t baking soda
1/4t salt
2T white sugar
2t ground cinnamon

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Cream together butter, sugar, eggs and vanilla. Blend in flour, cream of tartar, soda and salt. In a separate ball mix together 2T sugar and cinnamon. Shape dough into balls and roll in cinnamon sugar mixture. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes on ungreased cookie sheets. Remove from sheets immediately.

Roasted Duck

We made this for a holiday dinner several years ago and it turned out really well.

2t salt
2t paprika
1t black pepper
1 5lb whole duck
1/2c melted butter

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Rub spices into skin and place in roasting pan.
Roast duck for 1 hour. Spoon 1/4c melted butter over bird then cook for another 45 minutes. Spoon remaining 1/4c butter over the duck and cook for another 15 minutes until golden brown.

Stuffed Shells

1 box pasta shells
1 jar of your favorite pasta sauce
1 container ricotta cheese
1 pound ground beef
1 medium grated zucchini
1t minced garlic
1c or so grated mozzarella

Boil shells according to package directions.Fry up ground beef. At the end add zucchini and garlic. Allow to cool. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Add remaining ingredients (except for sauce and cheese.) Fill shells with a spoon and place in a greased pan. Pour sauce over shells and cover with mozzarella. Bake for 30 minutes until heated through and cheese is melted.

Chocolate Chip Cookies

This is my new go-to recipe for chocolate chip cookies. This makes a big batch so I either halve the recipe or wrap half in saran wrap and foil then freeze it until we want more.

4c flour
1t baking powder
1t baking soda
1 1/2c butter, softened
1 1/4c sugar
1 1/4c brown sugar
2 large eggs
1T vanilla extract
2 1/2c chocolate chips (I sometimes mix and match, other times just use one kind)
1c chopped nuts (optional. We don't use this... sometimes I just add more chocolate instead ;))

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Combine dry ingredients in a seperate bowl. In your mixer bowl beat butter until fluffy. Add sugars and rest of wet ingredients.
Gradually add the dry mixture. Mix in chocolate and nuts. Drop onto ungreased cookie sheets and bake for 8-10 minutes (or more if you made jumbo cookies. Sometimes the mood hits, you know?)
Cool on sheets for 2 minutes then remove to wire racks to finish cooling.

My Favorite Chocolate Cake

The original copy of this recipe is a "mocha" cake but you can't really taste the mocha. It's just a delicious chocolate cake. The best I've ever had.

2c flour
2c white sugar
2/3c cocoa powder
2t baking soda
1t baking powder
1/2t salt
1T instant coffee powder
1/2c oil
2 eggs
1c buttermilk
1c hot water

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Into a large bowl mix all the dry ingredients. Incorporate the wet ingredients (minus the last) one at a time until a thick batter has been made. Pour hot water over the thick batter and stir until uniform.
Pour into 2 greased and floured 9 inch cake pans. Bake for 30-35 minutes.
I use chocolate buttercream on this cake and it's decadent and delicious!

Buttermilk Pie Crust

This is a nice and easy pie crust, though not as pretty as a traditional recipe.

2 sticks cold unsalted butter
2 1/2c flour
1T sugar
1t salt
1/2c buttermilk
Cut the butter into the dry ingredients then mix in buttermilk. Divide into to even balls. Press into your pie plate and chill until ready to use.

Chicken Fingers with Honey Mustard

A random recipe I found on a card years ago that is definitely a family favorite!

For honey mustard:
1/2c honey
1/4c dijon mustard
Mix together. Set aside to dip in later.

For chicken:
4 skinless, boneless chicken breasts
1c flour
1/2t salt
1/4t pepper
3/4c milk
1c oil for frying
Cut chicken into 1/2 inch by 2 inch strips.
Mix flour, salt and pepper in a shallow dish. Dip chicken into milk then foll in flour mixture to coat well. Place chicken on waxed paper.
Pour 1/4 inch of oil into a large heavy skillet. Heat over medium-high heat to 350 degrees.
Divide chicken into batches and place in an even layer in hot oil. Fry, turning once, for about 3 minutes on each side or until golden brown and crisp. Drain on paper towels. Serve with sauce.

David's Grandma's Pecan Pie

I have to attribute this recipe to Patty Vail. Back when I first started collecting recipes this one was given to me as a Grandma's Pecan Pie recipe. It's delicious and always the recipe I use!

For the pie crusts: (makes 2. Halve if you only want the one)
2 1/2c flour
1c crisco (I use butter)
1t salt
1/2c water
Mix flour, shortening and salt. Add water.

For filling:
3 eggs
2/3c sugar
1/2t salt
1/3c butter (melted)
1c dark corn syrup
Beat above together with rotary beater.
Add 1c pecan halves.
Pour into pie crust. Bake at 375 degrees for 40 to 50 minutes or until set and pastry is nicely browned. Cool and serve with a dollup of whipped cream.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Pie

I'm not a huge fan of "recipes" that involve a mix in the ingredients, preferring to make as much from scratch as I'm able but this one will be an exception for now. I've only made this pie once but I should make it more often. It was a huge hit!

1 1/2 c milk
1 package instant vanilla pudding mix
1/2c peanut butter
1 graham cracker crust

Chocolate layer:
1 1/2c milk
1 package instant chocolate pudding mix
1c whipped topping

Add vanilla mix into the first amount of milk. Beat for a minute or two then add peanut butter. Beat for another 30 seconds or so then pour into crust.
Beat chocolate mix into the second amount of milk for 2 minutes. Carefully spread over peanut butter layer and chill for at least 2 hours.
Top with whipped topping and garnish as desired.

Homemade Taco Seasoning

A little while back I was made aware of just how much filler was in the taco seasoning mix we use on a regular basis. I don't think I even finished the can of it that was in our cupboard! This is the new recipe I use. It's super easy and tastes so much better than the can or packet variety!

2T chili powder
1/2t salt
2t cumin
1/2t garlic powder
1/2t onion powder
2t oregano

Add to cooked ground meat with a little water and cook until water evaporates.

Pizza Dough

This is the pizza dough we use when we make our pizza from home. With 3 boys at home we make pizza a lot! I actually have this recipe on a post it on the inside of my cabinet because I use it so often.

1t sugar
1 1/2c warm water
2 1/2 t yeast
2T olive oil
2t salt
3 1/2-4c flour

Mix sugar into warm water and add in yeast. Let it sit until foamy then add in olive oil, salt and slowly add in the flour. I use my kitchenaid with the dough hook, though you can do this by hand. Knead until it's a smooth dough.
Let rise in a warm spot for 1 hour.
Divide into 2 pieces. Shape your pizzas and let rest for 10 minutes. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Top with whatever you would like. I use a homemade red pizza sauce, bbq sauce or ranch mixed with some chopped garlic.
Bake for 15 minutes or so. Keep an eye on it and make sure it's solid all the way through the bottom.
We also use this recipe for pizza on the grill which has an even better flavor!