Shepherd's Pie

Ingredients
1.5 pounds 93 percent lean ground beef
Water
Salt and pepper

1/2 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons vegetable oil
1onion, chopped
4 ounces white mushrooms, trimmed and chopped (omitted when cooking for Seth)
1 tablespoon tomato paste
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons Madeira or ruby port
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1.25 cups beef broth
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
2 sprigs fresh thyme
1 bay leaf
2 carrots, peeled and chopped 

Assorted frozen veggies like peas and corn
2 teaspoons cornstarch

Mashed potatoes per your favorite recipe

Toss beef with 2 tablespoons water, 1 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon pepper, and baking soda in bowl until thoroughly combined. Set aside for 20 minutes.

Heat oil in broiler-safe 10-inch skillet over medium heat until shimmering. Add onion, mushrooms, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper; cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are just starting to soften and dark bits form on bottom of skillet, 4 to 6 minutes.

Stir in tomato paste and garlic; cook until bottom of skillet is dark brown, about 2 minutes. Add port and cook, scraping up any browned bits, until evaporated, about 1 minute. 

Stir in flour and cook for 1 minute. Add broth, Worcestershire, thyme, bay leaf, and carrots; bring to boil, scraping up any browned bits. 

Reduce heat to medium-low, add beef in 2-inch chunks to broth, and bring to gentle simmer. Cover and cook until beef is cooked through, 10 to 12 minutes, stirring and breaking up meat chunks with 2 forks halfway through. Add frozen veggies and cook until heatedvthrough. Stir cornstarch and 2 teaspoons water together in bowl. Stir cornstarch mixture into filling and continue to simmer for 30 seconds. Remove thyme and bay leaf. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Top with mashed potatoes and place under a broiler until potato crust is golden brown and filling is bubbly, 10 to 15 minutes. Let cool for 10 minutes before serving.

French Onion Pasta

So this is on the verge of a little to 'pre-packaged' for me, but I gave it a try and I have to say I was rather pleasantly surprised. If you're willing to eat dip made with Lipton's french onion soup mix, you should try this.

Ingredients:
2 cups of uncooked penne pasta (I snuck in whole wheat pasta)
1 cup of chicken stock
1 packet of Lipton's Onion Soup mix
1 shallot, finely diced
2 cloves of garlic, smashed
1/2 cup of marsala wine
4 tablespoons of light cream
1 tablespoon of flour
1/4 cup of shredded mozzarella cheese
1 tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil



In a large oven safe saucepan, heat the oil. Add the scallions and garlic, stir continually until soft and fragrant. Add in the flour and cook for a couple of minutes. A light brown fond will form on the bottom of the pan, so long as it doesn't blacken, don't worry. A nice dark brown is ok.
Add the marsala wine, scraping the bottom of the pan to remove any stuck on business.
Add the stock and soup mix packet, allow to simmer for about 20 minutes.
Meanwhile, cook your pasta al dente.
Reduce heat and add the light cream, mix well.
Add the cooked pasta to the sauce, stir well. Arrange evenly in saucepan and top with the mozzarella cheese. Set it under the broiler until the cheese gets a little crispy.

Balsamic Honey Pulled Pork in the crockpot

This recipe sounded a little more sophisticated than the gazillions of crockpot pulled pork recipes. It wasn't as simple, as you do need to make the sauce on the stove top for 25min, but it didn't fail to disappoint!

Ingredients:
for pork
2.5-3# boneless pork shoulder, trimmed of fat
1 onion, chopped
1 medium green pepper, chopped
1 tsp dried thyme
1/2 tsp dried rosemary
1/2 cup chicken broth

for sauce
1c balsamic vinegar
3/4c ketchup
1/3c packed brown sugar
1/4c honey
1 Tbs Worcestershire sauce
1 Tbs dijon mustard
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/4 tsp salt

Place pork, onion, pepper, herbs and broth in slow cooker. Cook on low for 8-10hrs or high for 4.5-5hrs.

Make BBQ sauce by combining ingredients in heavy saucepan. Bring to boil and reduce heat. Simmer, uncovered, for 20-25 minutes until slightly thickened, stirring occassionally.

Transfer meat to cutting board and shred using two forks, discarding any fat.
Strain vegetable mixture and discard liquid. Return meat and veggies to crock pot. Add BBQ sauce and stir to coat meat evenly. Adjust slow cooker to low for 1 hr.

Serve on slider buns with coleslaw and pickles.

Corn and Crab Chowder

From Rachel Ray via the Food Network. This is how I used a surplus of crab meat from my Uncle Bill.

Ingredients
1 Tbs olive oil
2 Tbs butter
2 potatoes, peeled and diced
2 ribs celery, choped
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
1 small red pepper, seeded and diced
1 bay leaf
salt and pepper
1 Tbs Old Bay seasoning
3 Tbs flour
2 c vegetable or chicken stock
1 quart whole milk
3 c corn kernels (frozen works fine)
8 oz lump crab meat
for garnish: tabasco, oyster crackers, or sliced scallions

Heat a deep pot over moderate heat. Add oil and butter. Add veggies to the pot with a bay leaf. Season with salt, pepper and Old Bay seasoning. Saute veggies for 5 minutes, then sprinkle in flour. Cook flour for 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Stir in broth and combine.. Stir in milk and combine. Bring soup to a bubble. Add corn and cram meat and simmer for 5 minutes. Adjust seasoning and remove the bay leaf before serving with garnish.

Fast Chicken Posole Soup

This recipe is from my mom's wonderful friend, Melanie. It's a great quick recipe that's tasty and satisfying.

Ingredients:
1 Tbs olive oil
1 tsp dried oregano
3/4 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp chili powder
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 c onion, diced
1/2 c celery, diced
4 fresh tomatillos, coarsely choped
2 (14oz) cans chicken broth
1 (15oz) can white hominy, rinsed and drained
2 c choped, skinless, boneless chicken breast - cooked (use a rotisserie chicken!)
1 Tbs lime junice
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
for garnish:
1/2 ripe avocado
4 radishes, thinly sliced
cilantro

Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan over med-high heat.
Add spices, garlic, onion and celery and saute for 2 minutes.
Stir in tomatillos; cook 1 min.
Add broth and hominy; cover and bring to boil. Uncover and cook 8 minutes.
Add chicken and cook 1 minute or until heated through.
Remove from heat; stir in lime juice, salt and pepper.
Serve in bowls and garnish.

Crockpot Thai Chicken

In my search for more crockpot dinners, this was a big hit. Not too spicy and excellent served over rice.

Ingredients
2 medium onions cut into thin wedges
1.5 cups sliced carrot (3 medium)
1 small red sweet pepper, cut into bite-size strips
2 pounds skinless, boneless chicken thighs, cut into 1-inch pieces
3/4 cup chicken broth
3 tablespoons creamy peanut butter
1/2 teaspoon finely shredded lime peel
2 tablespoons lime juice
2 tablespoons soy sauce 
1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger
2-3 teaspoons red curry paste
4 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 cup unsweetened coconut milk
1 cup frozen peas
Hot cooked rice
Chopped peanuts (optional)
Snipped fresh cilantro (optional)

In a slow cooker, place onions, carrot, and sweet pepper. Top with chicken. In a medium bowl, whisk together broth, peanut butter, lime peel, lime juice, soy sauce, ginger, curry paste, and garlic until smooth. Pour over all in cooker.

Cover and cook on low-heat setting for 5 to 6 hours or on high-heat setting for 2-1/2 to 3 hours. Stir in coconut milk and peas. Let stand, covered, for 5 minutes.

Serve chicken mixture over hot cooked rice. If desired, sprinkle each serving with chopped peanuts and cilantro. 

Butternut Squash Lasagna

I adapted this from a Martha Stewart recipe with the addition of Italian sausage. I think kale or Swiss chard might be a nice way to add some veg as well.

Ingredients:

• 2 pounds butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and cut into 1-inch pieces
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
• 1 pound whole-milk ricotta cheese
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 2 large egg yolks
• 1/2 pound fresh mozzarella cheese, coarsely grated (2 cups)
• Freshly grated nutmeg
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1/3 cup loosely packed fresh sage leaves, coarsely chopped
• 1 1/4 cups homemade or store-bought low-sodium chicken or vegetable stock (I used a bit more since I had no cook noodles)
• 3/4-1 lb sweet Italian sausage, cooked
• Lasagna noodles
• 4 ounces finely grated Parmesan cheese (1 1/4 cups)

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Toss squash, oil, and 1 teaspoon salt on a baking sheet. Season with pepper. Bake until light gold and tender, 25 to 30 minutes. Let cool.
2. Reduce oven temperature to 375 degrees. Combine ricotta, cream, yolks, mozzarella, and a pinch of nutmeg in a medium bowl. Season with salt.
3. Melt butter in a small saute pan over medium-high heat. As soon as it starts to sizzle, add sage, and cook until light gold and slightly crisp at edges, 3 to 4 minutes.
4. Place squash in a medium bowl, and mash 1/2 of it with the back of a wooden spoon, leaving the other 1/2 in whole pieces. Gently stir in sage-butter mixture and stock. Season with salt and pepper.
5. Spread 3/4 cup of ricotta mixture in a 9-cup baking dish. Top with a layer of noodles. Spread 1/2 of the butternut squash mixture over noodles. Top with a layer of noodles. Spread 1 cup of ricotta mixture over noodles and top with half of cooked crumbled sausage. Repeat layering once more (noodles, squash, noodles, ricotta/sausage a). Sprinkle Parmesan over ricotta mixture.
6. Place baking dish on a rimmed baking sheet, and bake until cheese is golden and bubbling, 30 to 35 minutes. Let stand for 15 minutes before slicing and serving.

Sour Cream Chicken Enchiladas

This recipe can be prepared ahead of time, double wrapped and frozen. I'm thinking it would be easy to double the recipe and freeze one.

Ingredients:
2 chicken breasts, approx. 1#
1 medium onion, chopped
2-3 Tbs olive oil
1 can black or kidney beans
Cumin, to taste
Chili powder, to taste
6-8 tortillas
1.5c shredded Montery Jack or Mexican cheese
1/4c butter
1/4c flour
1 - 15oz can of chicken broth
1c sour cream
1 - 4oz can diced green chilis

Preheat oven to 400*
Heat olive oil in a pan. Dice the chicken, season with salt, pepper, cumin and chili powder. Cook chicken with the onion until just done. Remove from heat. Add beans and corn and mix together. Spray a 9x13 inch pan with nonstick spray or olive oil. Put the chicken mixture in each tortilla with a sprinkle of cheese and place in the pan seam side down.

Melt the butter and add flour to create a roux. Cook for 2-3 minutes, slowly whisk in the chicken broth to create a thickened sauce. Take off heat and stir in sour cream and chilis. Pour over enchiladas and top with remainder of the cheese.

Bake for 20 minutes until cheese topping in melted.

Santa Fe Chicken

A new crockpot recipe! The end result has a fair bit of liquid, so it would work well over rice, or strain with a slotted spoon well before you put in a tortilla.

Ingredients:
24 oz (1 1/2) lbs chicken breast
14.4 oz can diced tomatoes with mild green chilies
15 oz can black beans
8 oz frozen corn
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
14.4 oz can fat free chicken broth
3 scallions, chopped
1-2 cloves of garlic, minced (original recipe called for 1 tsp garlic powder)
half a chopped onion (original recipe called for 1tsp onion powder)
1 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper (or to taste)
salt to taste

Directions:
Combine chicken broth, beans, corn, tomatoes, cilantro, scallions, garlic powder, onion powder, cumin, cayenne pepper and salt in the crock pot. Season chicken breast with salt and lay on top. 

Cook on low for 10 hours or on high for 6 hours. Half hour before serving, remove chicken and shred. Return chicken to slow cooker and stir in. Adjust salt and seasoning to taste. Serve over rice or tortillas and your favorite toppings- like sour cream and cilantro.

Crockpot Lemon Chicken

This is a great little recipe that's quicker than many crockpot recipes. I also successfully doubled this as well. We served with angel hair pasta and it was delish!

Ingredients
1tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground black pepper
2lbs boneless, skinless chicken breast
2 Tbs butter
1/4 c water
3 Tbs lemon juice
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp chicken bouillon granules
8oz pkg cream cheese (lowfat or fat free works fine)\
Fresh parsley for garnish

Mix oregano, salt and pepper and rub into chicken breasts. Melt the butter in a skillet and brown the chicken breasts 3 to 5 minutes on both sides. Place chicken in slow cooker.
In the same skillet, mix water, lemon juice, garlic and bouillon. Bring to a boil. Pour over the chicken in the slow cooker.
Cover and cook on high for 3 hours or low for 6 hours. Add the parsley to the slow cooker 15-30 minutes before the end of the cooking time.
About 15min before you're ready to serve, remove the chicken and add cream cheese. Whisk until smooth and serve over chicken on a bed of rice or pasta.

found on Pinterest

Marshmallows

Fun to make for home or gifts and delicious in hot cocoa.

Ingredients:
1/4c powdered sugar
1/4c corn starch
vegetable oil (for pan)
2 - 1/4oz envelopes of gelatin
1.5c granulated sugar
2/3c light corn syrup

Sift together powdered sugar and corn starch and set aside.
Brush the bottom of an 8x8 inch pan with vegetable oil and then cut a piece of parchment, approximately 8x12 to cover the bottom and 2 sides with overhang. Place in pan and brush the parchment with oil too.
Dust the bottom of the pan with about half your sifted sugar/corn starch and set aside.

Fill stand mixing bowl with 1/2 cup cool water and sprinkle with gelatin.
Meanwhile, in a medium pot with a candy thermometer attached, combine granulated sugar, corn syrup and 1/2c water and bring to a boil over high heat.
Reduce heat to medium and cook until you reach soft ball stage at 240*. Remove from heat.

Turn on stand mixer and beat gelatin on low for about 30 seconds. Then slowly pour in sugar syrup down the side of the bowl with mixer running. After everything is poured in, increase mixer speed gradually (I found I needed 1-2 min at at least two higher speeds to get to the highest speed without splashing everywhere).
Beat on high until doubled in volume and thick and ribbony - about 12-15 minutes.
If adding extract, do so in the last 30 seconds or so. I used scant 1tsp peppermint extract.

Pour batter into prepared pan. Use wet fingers to smooth out surface and sprinkle remaining powdered sugar/corn starch over the top. Let rest, uncovered in a cool and dry place, for 4 hours or overnight.

Invert marshmallow to a cutting board. Use a pastry brush to brush off powdered sugar mix and reserve on cutting board for dipping the newly cut edges in, as well as dusting the knife before and between cuts.

Variations:
For coffee marshmallows, dissolve 6 Tbs instant espresso in 1c boiling water. Set aside to cool to room temp and then substitute where water is called for.

For chocolate marshmallows, mix 6 Tbs cocoa and 3 Tbs hot water until a smooth paste is formed. Add to gelatin mixture before adding syrup. Also add 1/4c cocoa powder to sifter when doing powdered sugar and corn starch.


From Country Living magazine

Spinach and Gruyere Breakfast Strata

This Cook's Illustrated recipe was our Christmas morning breakfast and looked lovely in my 8x8 Spode Christmas baker. Also you prep ahead and bake off the morning of, which I like.

Ingredients:
8-10 slices French or Italian break (1/2 inch thick) - I used a day old baguette
5 Tbs unsalted butter, softened
4 medium shallots, minced (~1/2c)
1 - 10oz package of frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
salt and pepper
1/2c Sauvignon Blanc
6oz Gruyere cheese, grated (~1.5c)
6 large eggs
1.75c half and half

Cut and dry bread either in an oven at 225* for 40min (flipping once halfway through) or leave out overnight. When cooled butter slices on one side with 2 Tbs butter and set aside.

Heat 2 Tbs butter in medium nonstick skillet over medium heat. Saute shallots until translucent, about 3min; add spinach and salt and pepper to taste and cook, stirring occasionally, until spinach and shallots are combined ~2min. Transfer to medium bowl and set aside.

Add wine to now empty skillet, increase heat to medium-high and simmer until reduced to 1/4cup, 2-3 min; set aside.

Butter 8x8 inch baking pan with remaining 1Tbs butter and arrange half the buttered bread slices, buttered side up, in a single layer in dish.
Sprinkle half of spinach mixture then 1/2c of grated cheese.
Use remaining bread to make next layer
Sprinkle with remaining spinach/shallot mix and another 1/2c of cheese.

Whisk eggs until combined, whisk in wine reduction, half and half, 1tsp salt and pepper to taste. Pour egg mixture over bread layers; cover surface flush with plastic wrap and weight down.
Refrigerate at least 1 hr or overnight.

Remove dish from fridge and let stand at room temp 20 min. Preheat oven to 325* with rack in the middle position.

Uncover strata and sprinkle with remaining cheese. Bake until both edges and center are uffed and edges have pulled away slightly from the sides of the dish, 50-55 minutes. Cool on wire rack 5 minutes before serving.


from Cooks Illustrated

Slow Cooker Pork Ragu

This is a double recipe so there will be some to freeze for another dinner.

Ingredients
2 large carrots
2 medium onions
4 cloves garlic, chopped
4 Tbs tomato paste
2 tsp dried thyme
2 tsp dried oregano
2 - 14.5oz cans diced tomatoes
2.5-3 lbs pork shoulder, trimmed and cut in half (at least)
Fettuccini and parmesean for serving

Combine carrot, onion, garlic, tomato paste, herbs, 1.5tsp salt and 1/2 tsp pepper in slow cooker. Add tomatoes and their juices; add pork and turn to coat.

Cook on high for 5-6hrs or low for 7-8hrs, until pork is very tender. Pull pork from sauce and place on cutting board. Shred with 2 forks, discarding any fatty bits. Serve with fresh fettuccini and ample parmesean.

From Real Simple, Jan2013

English Toffee

After some searching, this is the toffee recipe I landed on for the holidays. It takes some patience and lots of stirring, but the results are delicious!

Ingredients:
1lb granulated sugar
1lb butter, unsalted
3oz water
1tsp salt
1tsp vanilla extract
1lb chopped almonds
1.5lbs bulk dark chocolate, not chips

Combine sugar, butter, water and salt in a heavy saucepan. Over medium high heat, stirring constantly, bring to a boil. Using a candy thermometer, keep stirring constantly until temperature reaches 298 degrees. When it reaches temperature, take off heat, add vanilla and stir well to combine. Then immediately pour out on a silpat. Using an offset spatula, quickly spread to desired thickness. You can either leave as one big sheet or score break lines in the toffee as it begins to cool. To score, oil a chefs knife with canola or safflower oil and repeatedly mark lines in toffee as it cools. Edges will cool first, so be strategic.

When cool, wipe excess butter off the toffee with a paper towel. If you scored the toffee, break it up for dipping. If you left it as a sheet, you'll coat it entirely with chocolate, then break into shards.

To temper chocolate (the easy way), chop chocolate finely and put in a microwave safe mixing bowl. Reserve a good sized chunk of chocolate for the last step. Microwave in 15-20 sec bursts, stirring for 15-20 sec after each time. When the chocolate has only a few small lumps after a microwave burst, add the reserved chunk and stir for a minute or more. All the small lumps should melt and the chocolate should thicken. Your larger chunk will not, it's there to add the right crystals and cool your chocolate. Now your chocolate is tempered.

Either dip the individual pieces and lay on parchment or pour chocolate on the sheet of toffee and spread with an offset spatula. Sprinkle with chopped almonds and allow to cool completely. Reserve any leftover chocolate by pouring onto parchment to cook and then wrap in plastic.

Cheesecake Thumbprint Cookies

Someone posted a link to ths on FaceBook, so I gave it a try. The original recipe can be found here.

Ingredients:
For the cheesecake filling
4 ounces cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 large egg yolk
1 1/2 teaspoons sour cream
1/4 teaspoon vanilla

For the cookie dough
16 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 large egg yolk
2 cups all-purpose flour

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

To prepare cheesecake filling
In a mixing bowl, beat cream cheese until light and fluffy. Beat in sugar and salt until smooth. Mix in egg yolk, sour cream and vanilla - cover and place into the refrigerator for 30 minutes.

To prepare the cookie dough
In a large mixing bowl, beat together butter, sugar and salt until creamy and combined. Mix in egg yolk until incorporated. Gradually add flour and mix just until combined.

Scoop out level tablespoons worth of the dough and roll into balls. Place balls onto parchment-lined baking sheets. Using the handle end of a thick wooden spoon make an indentation in the center of each ball.

Place into the oven and bake for 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and carefully use your thumb (or the end of the same wooden spoon) to press the middle of the cookies back down, remaking the indentations. You want a pretty large indentation so you can have enough filling. Place cookies back into the oven, rotating them from their original position, and continue to bake until slightly golden around the edges, about 7 minutes.

Remove cookies from the oven and fill the indentations with the cheesecake filling. I piped in the filling to keep the edges clean, but you could use a teaspoon. Place back into the oven and bake for 7 more minutes. Remove from the oven and transfer cookies to a wire rack to cook completely.

When cool, place cookies into the refrigerator to chill before serving.
Makes about 32 cookies.

Chocolate Cherry Chunk Cookies

So I occasionally shy away from Martha Stewart recipes since they can be unnecessarily complicated, but these cookes came together very easily. That said, the individual ingredients are spendy (how can dried cherries be so spendy??) Regardless, they are tasty!

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 pound (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 3/4 cup packed light-brown sugar
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 cups oats
• 1 cup dried cherries
• 4 1/2 ounces bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped (I simplified by using dark chocolate chips)
• 1 cup toffee pieces (I used Heath bits)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper; set aside. In a large bowl, sift together flour and baking soda.
2. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and both sugars on medium speed until light and fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes, scraping down the sides of the bowl once or twice during mixing. Add the egg; mix on high speed to combine. Add the vanilla; mix to combine. Scrape down the sides of the bowl.
3. Add flour mixture to egg mixture, and mix on low speed until well combined. Add the oats, cherries, chocolate, and toffee pieces; mix to combine after each addition.
4. Spoon a heaping tablespoon of dough onto a lined baking sheet. Repeat, spacing 2 inches apart.
5. Bake cookies until golden brown, 14 to 16 minutes, rotating baking sheet halfway through. Transfer to a wire rack to cool. Store in an airtight container up to 2 days.

http://www.marthastewart.com/318628/tories-cherry-chocolate-chunk-cookies?czone=food/best-grilling-recipes/side-dishes-and-desserts&center=276943&gallery=274281&slide=259496

Raspberry Cordial

Tis the season for wonderful fresh berries. My mom used to make this every summer and then it was a special treat for Christmas. Adults had it after dinner and kids were allowed a little poured over vanilla ice cream!

Ingredients:
2 c sugar
2 pints ripe raspberries (I used a half flat of half dry pints)
1 qt vodka (4c or 32oz) note: a 1.75l bottle makes two batches of cordial

Directions:
Place sugar in 3 qt glass jar with lid. Add berries and vodka, stir and cover. Place in dark cool place. Each week for 2 months open jar and stir. Strain cordial through a cheese cloth into decanter. Makes 1 1/2 quarts.