Kitchen Delights 4/18/19
Some days I spend most of my time looking for something I mis-placed, or searching for a certain recipe I know I just saw in one of my cookbooks, laying right on my desk. Sometimes I find this great sounding recipe, that I want to try to make for supper, it sounded so good, and I know I have all the ingredients to make it.....but what cooking magazine was it in??
Roasted Asparagus
1 lb. fresh asparagus
1/2c. onion, minced
1/2 c. red pepper, sliced
1 T. olive oil
1/8 tsp. garlic powder
1/2 tsp. dried rosemary
1/2 T. balsamic vinegar
Salt & pepper
In a heavy roasting pan, place asparagus, onion and red pepper. Toss with olive oil, garlic and rosemary. Roast, uncovered, at 500 degrees for 10 minutes; drizzle with balsamic vinegar, toss. Sprinkle with a little salt and pepper.
Yield: 4 servings
Granny’s Slow Cooker Taters
32 oz. pkg. frozen hash brown potatoes, thawed
1 lb. Kielbasa sausage, cut in chunks
10-3/4 oz. can cheese soup
1 soup can of milk
1/2 tsp. pepper
1/4 tsp. salt, opt.
Place all ingredients into a 6 qt. slow cooker; stir to mix. Cover and cook on high for 3 hours, or low for 8-9 hours.
Yield: 6 servings
Bean Pot Pie
2 T. vegetable oil
2 med. carrots, chopped
2 ribs celery, chopped
1 med. onion, chopped
1-1/2 c. cooked ham, cubed
3 T. flour
14-1/2 oz. can chicken broth
2 (15-1/2 oz.) cans navy or white beans, drained
1 tsp. cumin
1/2 tsp. chili powder
Salt & pepper, to taste
BISCUIT TOPPING:
8-1/2 oz. corn bread muffin mix
1/2 c. milk
1 egg, beaten
2 green onions, finely chopped
1/4 c. minced parsley
2 T. butter, melted
Preheat oven to 425 degrees. In a 10 in. oven proof skillet, heat oil over medium heat. Add carrots, celery and onion; cook for 6-8 minutes. Add ham. Stir in flour until blended; gradually stir in broth. Bring to a boil, stir constantly. Cook and stir for 2 minutes. Add beans, salt and pepper; return to a boil.
In a bowl, combine muffin mix, milk, egg, green onions, parsley and melted butter. Spoon evenly over bean mixture (dish will be full).
Bake at 425 degrees for 20-25 minutes, until top is golden brown.
No Fuss Chicken
8 oz. bottle Russian salad dressing
1/3 c. apricot preserves
1-1/2 oz. pkg. dry onion soup mix
6-8 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
In a mixing bowl, combine the dressing, preserves and soup mix. Arrange chicken in an ungreased 8x14 inch casserole dish; pour the preserve mixture over the chicken. Cover and bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes. Uncover, baste with juices, bake for 15-20 minutes more, or until chicken is tender.
Yield: 6-8 servings
Toffee Pecan Bars
CRUST:
1/2 c. butter, softened
1/2 c. light brown sugar
1-3/4 c. flour
Cream butter and brown sugar. Slowly incorporate the flour. Press into a lightly greased 9x13 inch pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 10-12 minutes.
TOPPING:
2 eggs
14 oz. can sweetened condensed milk
1 tsp. vanilla
1 c. chopped pecans
1 c. toffee chips
In a mixing bowl, combine eggs, sweetened condensed milk and vanilla (don’t over beat). Add pecans and toffee chips. Spread over the crust. Bake for 18-20 minutes.
Melt 3/4 c. milk chocolate chips and 1 tsp. vegetable oil in a cup in microwave on high for 40 seconds. Drizzle on top of bars.
Favorite Cookies
2 sticks butter, softened
1-1/2 c. creamy Jiff® peanut butter*
1-1/2 c. dark brown sugar
1-1/4 c. sugar
4 eggs
2 tsp. vanilla
2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
3 c. quick rolled oats
2-1/2 c. flour
1 pkg. mini chocolate chips or mini M&Ms®
1 c. finely chopped peanuts, opt.
*You can use any kind of peanut butter, Jiff® is my favorite!
In large mixing bowl, cream butter, peanut butter and sugars. Beat in the eggs, vanilla, baking soda and salt. Add the oats and flour gradually to incorporate. Stir in chips and peanuts.
Always start with baking 4-6 on a small cookie pan, to see if they come out looking perfect. Then continue on. If too thin, add a little more flour; if too stiff, add a teaspoon or two of water. Work into dough. Bake at 350 degrees for 9 minutes.
Yield: 5-6 dozen
Helpful Hints:
• A quick way to test an egg for freshness.... Place the egg into a pan of cool salted water. If the egg sinks, it’s fresh; if it rises to the surface, toss it out.
• Before pressing crispy treats into a baking dish, run your fingers under cold water. This will keep the treats from sticking to your fingers.
• Quick fix: To keep a mixing bowl from sliding around, simply place a damp dish cloth underneath.
• Glass and dark baking pans will retain more heat than shiny ones. Be sure to reduce the oven temperatures by 25 degrees when using them.
“There are three kinds of people. Those who make things happen; those who watch things happen; and those who have no idea what happened.”
