Major Award Kettle Corn

I won an award for "most unique dessert" at the ward Christmas party for my Norwegian Kringle. Kringle is the offspring of biscotti and chocolate chip cookies bent in the form of a pretzel. When Brother Miene handed me the award he said it was for "that race track looking thing". Yeah. "Most Unique Dessert" is the equivalent of a participation ribbon mixed with a hint of "do I dare eat it?" But I don't even care, because my prize was this never-used-straight-from-Desert-Industires-Whirley-Pop. And it is the best thing I've ever won. It even trumps my weather-photo-of-the-day umbrella from the local TV station. I will never pop popcorn in the microwave again (Okay. That's a lie. I probably will because I'm lazy like that, but I vow to not enjoy the eating of it nearly as much). We made two batches of kettle corn last night and ate all but the four un-popped kernels at the bottom. It was the crispiest, freshest, warmest popcorn I've had the pleasure of eating. Best. Prize. Ever. 

Major Award Kettle Corn

Ingredients

1/2 cup popcorn kernels

1/4 cup Orville Redenbacher's Popping & Topping oil

1/3 cup granulated sugar

1 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp salt

Directions

Pour oil into your Whirley-Pop (or covered pan) and tip it from side to side until bottom of pan is evenly coated and toss in three test kernels. Cover and warm over medium heat. While oil is warming, mix sugar and cinnamon in a bowl. When you hear the test kernels pop, dump in your popcorn, turn the handle (or stir) until kernels are evenly distributed and then pour sugar mixture in. Crank the handle (or stir) continuously to avoid burning your popcorn or sugar while the kernels heat up. Cook until handle becomes difficult to turn or the popping slows down to one pop every two or three seconds. Remove from heat and pour into a large bowl. Sprinkle with salt and stir. 

Taco Salad

Ingredients:
1 bag tortilla chips
1/2 lb hamburger, browned*
1 Taco seasoning packet
2 Tbs water
2 cups corn (I use freezer corn)
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed.
 2 hearts of romaine or green lettuce rinsed and chopped
1/2 cup chopped tomatoes
1 avocado, sliced

Toppings
Ranch dressing
Grated cheese
Sour cream
Salsa

Instructions:
In a microwave safe bowl, mix browned hamburger, taco seasoning and water. Microwave until warm. In a separate microwave bowl, heat black beans until warm (about two minutes). Do the same for the corn.

Prepare lettuce, tomatoes and avacado, and place each in a sperate bowl.

Place a layer of chips on your plate. I like to crunch them up for the kids, but I leave them on the side for myself and use them to scoop the salad with. Then add lettuce, beans, corn, tomatoes, avocados and any toppings you desire.

*I brown hamburger in giant batches whenever it's on sale and keep it in the freezer until I'm ready to use it. It makes meal preparation very simple and saves me money.

MkHuffin (a make at home cousin to that other famous breakfast sandwich)

Ingredients
English muffin
Frozen pre-cooked sausage patty
Fake cheese*
One egg, beaten

Directions
Toast an English muffin. Cook egg in a skillet over med-high and push to the side of pan so it keeps warm, but is off the direct heat. In that space you just made, warm a sausage patty. (I buy them in bags in the freezer aisle.  Put the scrambled egg and sausage patty on the muffin bottom, add cheese and then the muffin top. The English muffins and the sausage patties keep well in the freezer so you can have these on hand for whenever. I like to eat them with fresh grapes. Yum.

* (American cheese, maybe?  Those plastic wrapped slices of nastiness. What a shame we put or name on that shiny stuff. They melt so nice though. This is the ONLY thing I like them on).

Monte Cristos

It's breakfast and dinner all in one. My family hasn't decided weather to call it binner or deakfast, but once this goodness hits the table, their mouths are too full to talk anyway.

Ingredients
2/3 cup milk
2 eggs
1 loaf french bread sliced into 10-12 pieces.
5 slices swiss cheese
5 slices ham
powdered sugar
strawberry jam

Instructions
Warm skillet on medium-high. Place a foil lined cookie sheet in the oven and heat oven to 200⁰. Whisk milk and eggs in a wide, shallow dish. Assemble sandwiches (cheese and ham between two slices of bread). Dip contact side in egg wash (try not to get the sides in the egg dip, as they will not be cooked). Fry on skillet until the exterior is golden brown and the cheese is melted. Place each sandwich in the oven to keep warm until they are all done. Sprinkle with powdered sugar and serve a puddle of strawberry jam and sides of potato wedges and broccoli. Don't forget to turn off the oven!

Hobo Dinner

Politically insensitive name aside, these foil packet meals are sooo yummy. My favorite thing about this is the clean-up. If you eat out of the foil packet, it's next to nothing. The prep time is minimal too. I use a food processor to slice my vegetables, but a mandolin or a sharp knife will do just as well.

Ingredients

2 packets of dry onion soup mix
2 onions (I prefer yellow)
4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
8 carrots
8 potatoes
8 butter pats (roughly a Tbs. each)
4 oblong aluminum foil sheets

Instructions
Move oven racks to middle high and middle low positions. Heat oven to 350⁰. Peel onions, carrots and potatoes and slice into 1/4 inch pieces and them into their own separate bowls. On the foil, layer one quarter of the each ingredient in the following order: potatoes on bottom, then carrots, onions, chicken, dry soup mix (about half a packet sprinkled over all). Finish with two pats of butter on top. Gather long ends of foil together and fold down into a tight seam. Do the same with the short edges. You should end up with a flat, tight packet of food. Place packets on cookie sheets and bake in oven for 1 hr. Check temperature. Chicken should register at least 165⁰. Watch for steam as you unwrap packets. It's very hot and you don't want to get burned.

Steamed Broccoli

This is so basic, but you've gotta know it. Broccoli is one of the fastest, tastiest and easiest vegetables to prepare.  Just wash it, trim it, place it in a microwave safe dish with a 1/2 inch of water (about a thumbnail deep), cover it and microwave it for 4 minutes ( full power in 1.65 kw microwave. You may have to adjust your time if your settings are different than this). Broccoli should be fork tender, bright green and not soggy. Drain off the liquid, add a pat of butter and a sprinkle of salt and pepper. Done!

Newlywed Chicken Noodle Soup

Ever read the story Stone Soup? That's kind of how this family staple evolved. When my husband and I were newlyweds we shared everything, including head colds. My medical knowledge was almost as limited as my cooking repertoire, but I figured I couldn't go wrong with chicken noodle soup. So I ripped open an envelope of Lipton's and set it boiling. The funny thing about dry chicken noodle soup is that it contains NO chicken. So I added some. But it was still lacking. So I put in some carrots. And then celery. It needed more water. Then the noodles were sparse. So I added some egg noodles. This hodgepodge soup was the result. You can leave the soup envelope out completely and have an excellent soup. Except I can't because if I do, my husband always asks, "Where are the little noodles? I love the little noodles."

Newlywed Chicken Noodle Soup

2-3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

3 carrots, peeled and sliced into 1/4 inch peices

3 celery ribs, sliced into 1/4 inch pieces

2 Tbs chicken bullion

3 cups dry egg noodles

11 cups water

One envelope Lipton's chicken noodle soup (optional)*

2tsp fresh Thyme (optional)

On the stove in a large pot, boil water and chicken breasts until the breasts are cooked through and no longer pink. While chicken is cooking prepare carrots and celery. When chicken is cooked, remove it from the water and set aside to cool. Scoop any foam from the top of the water (gross, I know) and throw in veggies, bullion, Lipton envelope and Thyme. Boil 10-15 minutes until veggies are tender. Shred chicken and return to pot. Add noodles and boil another 8 minutes or so until the noodles are soft. Serve with saltines and a salad.

Crock Pot Variation

Precook chicken and keep in the freezer until you're ready to use it. In a crock pot, combine all ingredients except egg noodles (and Lipton envelope, if using). Cook on low 6-8 hours. Add egg noodles 30 minutes before serving time.

*If you skip the Lipton's envelope, reduce the water by one cup.

Fish n' Rice Night

This is my "Oh crap, I forgot about dinner" meal. It pulls together quick, I always have the ingredients on hand and nobody ever spits it out or gags (except on the squash, but that has more to do with it's vegetable status than my efficacy at baking it). The squash takes an hour so start it first. Start your rice 30 minutes before dinner and while it's cooking, mix and bake the biscuits. Put fish in the oven last of all.

Broiled Tilapia (could not be easier)
4-5 frozen tilapia fillets
3 tbs melted butter
Dill or lemon Pepper seasoning.

grease a broiling pan, or if you don't have one, line a cookie sheet with foil and grease that.
Place fillets one pan, brush with butter, sprinkle with seasoning. Place oven rack in highest position and broil on high 6-7 minutes (watch this carefully. If your fillets are frozen like mine usually are they may take longer, but they are easy to burn if you forget about them). Fish is done when it flakes easily with a fork.

Butter Rice

1 cup rice
2 cups water
2 tsp chicken bullion
1 tbs butter

Place all ingredients in rice cooker. Switch to cook and walk away!

Baked Squash

1 squash
1 cup water

Heat oven to 350. Halve squash, discard seeds, and cut the squash into 4 inch pieces (this does not need to be exact). Place skin side down in a 9X13 baking dish. Pour water in the bottom and cover with foil. Bake for 1 hour.

Cheddar Biscuits
 Biscuit Mix :

2 1/2 cups Baking Mix (like Bisquick)
4 Tbs cold butter, cut into pea sized cubes
1 cup cheddar
1 cup milk

Butter Mix:
2 Tbs butter, melted
1/4 tsp garlic salt
1 tsp dried parsley

Combine all ingredients in the biscuit mix and spoon onto a greased cookie sheet (makes 9 or ten biscuits). Bake at 400 for 17 minutes. Make butter mixture by combining all ingredients and brush over biscuits as soon as they come out of the oven. Best served while warm.

Tartar Sauce
1/2 cup mayo
1/4 cup relish

Combine. Because this is a mayo base, you should keep this in the refrigerator until right before you eat it.

Awesome Calico Beans and Cornbread

This meal is sweet and tangy, but mostly sweet, which is probably why my sugar fiend children requested it last week. I brown hamburger in large batches anytime it's on sale and keep it in the freezer and it cuts the preparation time for this dinner significantly.  These beans are great for a cold night or a summer BBQ, and pairs well with a side of cornbread and a glass of cold milk.

Awesome Calico Beans

1/2 onion
1/2 lb cooked hamburger
1/2 lb cooked, crumbled bacon
1 large can Bushe's Baked Beans Original
1 can kidney beans
1 can butter beans
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup ketchup (I don't measure this. I just squirt it in until I feel like it's enough)
1 Tbs French's mustard (squirt method again. It's not scientific, but it saves dishes and tastes fine. Usually)
1 tsp vinegar
1/2 tsp salt

Brown the onion and hamburger or pull some out of the freezer if you like to pre-cook it like I do. Drain the burger and dump it in a crock pot. Using the same pan (because who needs more dishes?) brown the bacon. Set on paper towels to drain. Put a few pieces in the crock pot to add flavor and save the reserve the rest. Dump in Bushe's beans. Drain kidney beans and butter beans. Dump in crockpot. Cook on low for 8 hours or high for 4. Sprinkle with reserved bacon and serve with corn bread.

This is the cornbread recipe I prefer. It's pretty sweet and we smother it with honey and butter. So good.

Harvest Beets

Start preparing these beets at least an hour and a half before dinner needs to be on the table. The whole beets take a long time to soften, but they are worth the effort. They hit every tender tongue spot: sweet, tangy, salty and umami. I know the finished product looks like clumps of coagulated blood. You'll just have to trust me; they're the tastiest beets you'll ever eat. And now that I've said that, you'll probably never make them. Your loss!

Harvest Beets
 
3 whole beets, scrubbed
2 qts boiling water

Sauce: 
1/3 cup cold water
1 Tbs corn starch
2 Tbs sugar
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 C white vinegar
1/3 C reserved beet cooking liquid
2 Tbs butter

Cut tops and root ends off of beets. Wear an apron and use a cutting board; beets stain with a purple vengeance. Add to boiling water and cover pot. Cook until tender. Depending on the size of your beets, this can take anywhere from 45 minutes to an hour. When they are fork tender, remove them from the water (do not drain the water, you'll need some of it later) and run under cold tap water until the beets are cool enough to handle. Remove skin with paring knife and cut beets into bite-size cubes. In a small sauce pan, combine cold water and cornstarch until there are no lumps. Add salt, vinegar and beet liquid. Cook until thick. Remove from heat and melt butter in the sauce. Pour sauce over beets.

I serve these beets as a side to meatloaf or Veggie Meatballs, because they both start with 'M',  as in 'mmmmmmm'.

Veggie Meatballs

I like this recipe because I the kids don't complain about eating their vegetables. They don't even know they're there. Also, I get more mileage from my hamburger because I use less of it to make each meatball than I would to make a traditional one. This dish is tasty and great for a cold night.

Veggie Meatballs

 Meatballs:
2 medium carrots, shredded
2 potatoes, shredded
1 lb hamburger
1/2 C onion
1/2 C bread crumbs
2 eggs
1 tsp salt
pepper

Sauce:
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 can milk (use the empty cream soup can to measure this)


Heat oven to 350⁰ and grease a 9x13 glass pan. In a bowl, mix all of the meatball ingredients with your hands until well combined. Form into medium size balls (about an inch and a half in diameter) and brown them in skillet until balls hold together. Move to the glass pan. Make sauce by whisking all ingredients until they are incorporated. Pour over meatballs. Bake for one hour. Meatballs should reach an internal temperature of at least 170⁰.

Serve with Harvest Beets. Since this recipe has potatoes in the meatball, you don't technically need a starch, but I like to serve it over cooked egg noodles or with slices of garlic bread to round out the plate.

Alfredo Night

I often have cream lurking in my fridge, especially after the holidays, and this is a tasty way to use it up. If you have a picky family, consider dong an alfredo bar: cook the pasta and the sauce and give them their choice of toppings like grilled chicken, shrimp, peas, steamed broccoli or anything else you might have on hand. Alfredo is versatile that way.

Pasta and Alfredo
Ingredients:
6-9 oz Pasta* cooked to package instructions and drained
1 stick butter
3 oz cream cheese
1 pint heavy cream
1 cup grated Parmesan
2 tsp dried parsley or  1 tsp fresh
Salt and Pepper to taste

Start your noodles on a back burner. In a medium size pot, melt one stick of butter. Add the cream cheese. It will dissolve faster into the butter if it's had time to come to room temperature first, but it's not necessary. Once cream cheese is melted, add the heavy cream. Simmer over medium heat until pasta is ready. Remove from heat and add Parmesan, parsley, salt and pepper. Stir unill parm is melted and pour over your pasta.

Serve with a salad or a side of steamed veggies and some garlic bread.

*Gauge how much pasta you need by how many servings you want to make. I usually plan one once per person. Also, your pasta does not have to be fettuccine. I've done it with linguine and thin spaghetti. Even farfalle or macaroni would work.

Indian Butter Chicken

If we have leftovers from a chicken or turkey roast, this is one of our favorite ways to use them. The kids don't even complain about the tomatoes. I think there's so much spicy interestingness going on that they didn't even notice they're in there.

Indian Butter Chicken
2 cups rotisserie chicken or turkey
1 small onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic*
2 Tbs butter
1 tsp dried ginger
1 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp tumeric
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1 Tbs brown sugar
14.5 oz can diced tomatoes, drained
8 oz can tomatoe sauce
1/2 cup whipping cream**
1/2 cup sour cream**
Salt and pepper

 In a dutch oven or skillet over medium heat, sautee onions and garlic in butter until tender. Add spices, and roast until fragrant (about a minute). Add tomatoes, tomato sauce, chicken and brown sugar. Cook until sugar is dissovled and sauce is warm. Add in the whipping cream and sour cream. Stir until everything is evenly incorporated. Salt and pepper to taste. Serve over rice with a green veggie like edamame or broccoli  (I like the orange with the green).

* Instead of mincing garlic, I use these frozen cubes. They're called Pop n' Cook in the west. You can find them in the frozen section at Walmart. They are awesome.)
**if you don't have one of them on hand, you can skip it, it just won't be as creamy. I've even forgotten to add the cream products entirely and it was still a yummy dish. Healthier that way too.