Sweet Chicken Street Taco meat

Sweet Chicken Street Taco 

4-6 chicken breasts, cooked, shredded
1 large can green enchiladas sauce MILD
2 can El Pato sauce
l large onion, chopped
1 1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup fresh cilantro, rough chopped

Combine shredded chicken, enchiladas sauce, El Pato sauce, onion and brown sugar in crockpot for 2-3 hours on LOW. Add cilantro. Cook another 30 minutes. 
Serve as tacos, salad, slider, burritos or nachos.

Lean Pancake

Instead of drinking my shake I decided to try the pancake recipe!

No need for syrup or jam.

So yummy and easy 😊

Breakfast on the go!

Lean Pancake

1 scoop LEAN protein
1 egg white
1/2 tbsp coconut oil or olive oil or avocado oil
1/2 tbsp water
dash of cinnamon

Spray your preheated pan. Cook pancake. It cooks little faster than usual so watch carefully

Crockpot Triple Berry Jam

6 (1/2 pint) raspberries
2 lbs. strawberries
6 cups blueberries
9 cups sugar
3/4 cup lemon juice
2 apples, cored, peeled and sliced
1 tsp vanilla

Low for 6 hours

Homemade Grandma Sycamore Bread

We love good bread. Not the flimsy cheap kind at the store. Kind of like Grandma Sycamore Bread here in Utah. So when we found this recipe, it was a winner. 

Homemade Grandma Sycamore Bread 
Made in a bread machine but baked in the oven
1/3 cup warm water
3/4 cup buttermilk
3 Tbsp butter, melted
3 Tbsp honey
1 1/2 tsp salt
3 cups all purpose flour
1/3 cup regular oats
2 Tbsp gluten
2 1/4 tsp INSTANT yeast

Place in bread machine according to manufacturing instructions. Set it for bread dough. Remove.

Shape into loaf. Place in greased bread pan. Let rise to 1" above pan.

Bake at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes.

Hearty Pancakes from scratch

Hearty Pancakes from scratch

1 cup flour
1/4 cup quick oats or a pkg of instant flavored oats
2 tbsp sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1 beaten egg
1 cup milk
1 tbsp oil

Mix all dry ingredients together. 

In separate bowl, combine egg, milk and oil. Add dry ingredients,  stirring until moisten. Cook on hot griddle.

* Spice add ins: cinnamon, nutmeg, pumpkin pie spice, cardamom.......

* Fruit add ins: berries, sauteed apples, bananas, pumpkin puree, applesauce,......

* Peanut butter, peanuts, pecans, walnuts,.......

Fluffy Dumplings

I love chicken and dumplings. My mother made them when I was growing up and I loved the light pillowy dumplings atop the homemade chicken noodle soup. Yum! 

I made them for my children when they were young too.

Fluffy Dumplings
1 cup flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup milk
2 tbsp oil 
In medium mixing bowl, combine flour, baking powder and salt. Mix well. Add milk and oil. Stir just until moistened. Do not over stir. Drop by teaspoon atop bubbling soup or stew. Cover tightly; let mixture return to boiling. Reduce heat (don't lift cover). Simmer for 12-15 minutes

Indian Fry Bread

Our dear friend, Beverly Harrison, taught a group of women in Ibapah, UT how to make fry bread the authentic Goshute Indian way. 

Oh how we love her for teaching us. 

Oh how we love our fry bread.

Oh how we love our Indian tacos. 

It is usually mistakenly called Navajo tacos or Navajo fry bread because every Native American tribe has fry bread and tacos.

Indian Fry Bread 

4 cups flour

1 1/2 tsp salt

1 1/2 tbsp baking powder

1 1/2 cups (or more) HOT tap water

1/2 cup vegetable oil

vegetable oil for frying

Mix flour, salt and baking powder. Add water gradually while mixing with hands. The dough will be slimely like snot. Let rest for several hours at room temp. Pour vegetable oil over top. DO NOT mix it in. Carefully stretch out a ball of dough and fry in very hot oil until golden brown on each side.

 

  

Boy Scout Beans

Spencer and Tammy make these for the boy scouts all the time in Ibapah. The boys scrap the pan clean each time for good reason. They are very yummy.

Boy Scout Beans
1 lb bacon
1 lbs ground beef
1 onion, chopped2 (15 oz) cans pork and beans, undrained
1 (15 oz) can kidney beans, undrained
1 (15 oz) can garbanzo**, undrained
1 (8oz) can crush pineapple, undrained
2 cups ketchup
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 tsp prepared mustard
1 tbsp liquid smoke

Crisp bacon in oven on cookie sheet at 425 degrees for 15 minutes. Crumble. In large dutch oven pot, brown ground beef and saute onion with ground beef until translucent. Add salt and pepper to taste.  Dump canned beans and pineapple in to ground beef. Add bacon, ketchup, brown sugar, vinegar, mustard and liquid smoke. Simmer over low heat for 20-30 minutes. 

If you want to add a little kick, add a chopped jalapeno. 

**Can substitute for any canned bean - lima, white, black, etc.

Zuppa Toscana (sausage potato soup)

Our family loves the Zuppa Toscana soup at Olive Garden so I looked for a recipe to make at home. 

I know that Olive Garden uses pancetta but it is so expensive that I use bacon. They also use kale but I find that my family pushes the kale aside and won't eat it so I use fresh spinach.


Zuppa Toscana (sausage potato soup)

1 lb bacon
1 onion, diced
2 garlic cloves, minced1 lb mild or hot sausage
1 quart chicken broth (or 2 tbsp chicken bouillon + 1 quart water)4 russet potatoes with skins, cut in half lengthwise and then into 1/4" slices
2 cups fresh baby spinach
1/3 cup heavy cream

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Place bacon strips on large cookie sheet. Bake for 15-18 minutes until crispy. Cool and crumble. Note: When added to the soup, it softens so it needs to be really crispy.

2. In large stock pan, brown sausage. Remove excess grease. Saute onions and garlic with sausage until translucent. Add crumbled bacon, broth and potato slices. Simmer 15 minutes. Add spinach and cream. Simmer 5 minutes. Serve with grated Parmesano-Reggiano or Romano cheese on top and buttered breadsticks.

Fresh Parmesan Basil Tomato Soup

It is always hectic at a family get-together so my daughter, Marcie, was so smart to make this soup ahead of time, freeze it and have it ready for the day her 8-year-old daughter, Melanie, was baptized. I fell in love with the soup instantly and have made it many times since.

It is packed full of veggies and is creamy but full of tomato flavor. The fresh oregano, basil, and grated Parmesan cheese make a big difference.

Fresh Parmesan Basil Tomato Soup

1 cup diced celery
1 cup diced carrots
1 cup diced onions
2 (14oz) cans diced tomatoes with juice
2 tbsp tomato paste
4 cups chicken broth or stock

1 bay leaf1 tsp dried oregano or 1 tbsp fresh oregano
1 tbsp dried basil or 1/4 cup fresh basil
1 cup fresh GRATED Parmesan cheese
2 cups heavy cream
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper

In a food processor,  pulse celery, carrots and onions until finely minced. 

In a large stock pot, add veggies, tomatoes with juice, tomato paste, chicken broth or stock and bay leaf. Simmer for 3 hours until veggies are VERY tender. With hand immersion blender**, blend until smooth or desired texture. The soup will be VERY HOT so be very careful during this step.

Add oregano, basil, Parmesan cheese, cream, salt and pepper. Simmer on low for 30 minutes.

Serve with orzo pasta and fresh Parmesan cheese atop soup with a side salad or grilled cheese sandwiches.

**If you do not have an immersion blender, transfer the soup to a blender and blend on high until smooth. Return to pan and continue the instructions. The soup will be VERY HOT so be very careful during this step.


Adapted from http://www.the-girl-who-ate-everything.com/2012/10/slow-cooker-tomato-basil-parmesan-soup.html

Grandma Reva's Cheesy Broccoli and Cauliflower Soup

Grandma Reva was an amazing home cook. She cooked from the heart and it was comforting to the soul. She made this soup when our son was small and he fell in love with it and requested it often. At the time, the president of the United States said he hated broccoli so it was definitely not cool to love this soup. 
It's been quite a few years since Grandma Reva passed away but I wanted her soup again. So I rummaged through my recipes and could not find it. Yikes! I sent out a plea to my husband's cousins for the recipe. Diane was kind enough to answer my plea. So here it is......

Grandma Reva's Cheese Broccoli and Cauliflower Soup
1 large head broccoli, cut up small
1 large head cauliflower, cut up small
salt and pepper
1/4 cup unsalted butter
1 large onion, diced
1/2 cup flour
8 cups chicken broth1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1/4 tsp nutmeg
2 cups cream or half and half
2 cups milk
3 cups grated cheese

Note: If you like to use the broccoli and cauliflower stalks, 
make sure to remove the outer layer and only use the tender inside.

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  
2. Place cut up broccoli and cauliflower on baking sheet. 
3. Generously salt and pepper. 
4. Roast for 30 minutes.
5. In very large saucepan, melt butter. Add diced onion and saute until translucent (4-5 min).  
6. Add flour to make rue. Saute for 3-5 minutes to cook flour. 
7. Stir in chicken broth, cayenne pepper and nutmeg. Simmer for a few minutes. 
8. Add roasted broccoli and cauliflower. Simmer for 15 minutes. 
9. Mash with potato masher or blend with immersion blender leaving some chunks.
10. Stir in cream, milk and cheese. Gently simmer for another 5 minutes.
11. Salt and pepper to taste. 

Serve with crusty bread. YUM YUM YUM

Shamrock LEAN shake

Shamrock LEAN shake
8 oz. Unsweetened Vanilla Almond Milk
1 scoop of X Lean Protein Powder
1/4 teaspoon Peppermint Extract
a few drops of Green Food Coloring
3-4 Ice Cubes
whipped cream (optional)
In blender, mix all ingredients except whipped cream. Pulse until ice is broken up. Enjoy!

Pumpkin pie spice

Ugh!

You know how it feels when you are baking and you thought you had all the ingredients but then, bam, you are lacking one item in the middle of your recipe. So what do you do?

Well today, I was about to make pumpkin bread for a banana-split party at my husband's school when I ran out of pumpkin pie spice. So I searched the web, gathered several different mixtures and came up with my own mix. I knew I had all the ingredients in my pantry so I mixed it up. I love the flavor of cardamom so I added it which is a little different than any other mix I have researched.

Homemade Pumpkin Pie Spice Mix
2 tbsp cinnamon
1 tbsp nutmeg
1 tbsp ground ginger
1 tsp ground cloves
1 tsp allspice
1 tsp cardamom

Mix together. Store in a airtight container in a dark, dry area. 

Enjoy!

Chicken Salad Croissant Sandwiches

I know this is a "Utah" Relief Society hit but it really is a good treat. Thanks Shelly Johnson and Lynette Richeson for recommending it for our RS activity. Yum......

Ingredients:
4 cups cubed cooked chicken
3/4 cup sliced almonds
1 cup finely chopped celery
1 1/4 cup red grapes, cut in half
1/4 cup finely chopped shallots
1/2 cup mayonnaise
2 tsp. lemon juice
1/4 tsp tarragon
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
6 croissant rolls - split

Directions:
In a medium bowl, toss together chicken, almonds, celery and grapes. In a small bowl, combine mayonnaise, lemon juice, tarragon, salt and pepper; mix well. Add dressing to chicken. Spread onto rolls. Enjoy!
I was watching the show "Down Home with the Neelys" and they stuffed beautiful huge beefsteak tomatoes lined with butter lettuce with their chicken salad instead of croissant rolls. 

Ben's Never Fail Biscuits

Biscuits may seem to be an easy bread to make unless it just doesn't work for you. I have attempted to made biscuits for a very long time and they never looked or tasted right so off we would go to the store to buy the canned jumbo biscuits or frozen ones. Finally I was going to make them right.

My son-in-law, Ben, make very delicious biscuits and gravy often at their home so I asked for his recipe. And it really is - NEVER FAIL biscuits.

Ben's NEVER FAIL Biscuits

2 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon baking powder

1 tablespoon sugar

1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar

1/2 cup butter COLD, cut into small pieces

3/4 - 1 cup milk

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Lightly grease or coat with cooking spray a large cookie sheet. Set aside.

2. In a medium bowl, sift together flour, salt, baking powder, sugar and cream of tartar. Stir.

3. Cut in butter with pastry cutter or fork until it is crumbly and pea-size.

4. Add milk gradually, stirring with a fork just to make a soft dough.

5. Turn out onto a floured surface and knead about 6-8 times.

6. Pat out to desired thickness, about 1" is good.

7. Cut with a biscuit cutter or glass cup.

8. Place on prepared pan about 1" apart. Bake for 12-15 minutes.

Mild Pork Chile Verde

Pork Chile Verde

Okay. I love to try new recipes but this one worried me. Our teenage son LOVES this when he goes to any good Mexican food place so I had to make it good enough for my worst food critic - the teenager himself! He and a couple of his friends were over to "try it out". They all said it was as good as The Taco Man's - that a compliment I'll take any day. Wahoo!!!
*Warning: This takes a LONG time but is well worth it. It also makes a very large batch so you can freeze some for another day.



Mild Pork Chile Verde
4 lb. pork roast
2-3 tsp. salt
1 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
4 cups chicken stock
3 medium yellow onions, chopped
2 green peppers, chopped
1 can chopped green chilies (or 2 Anaheim chiles, finely chopped)
2-3 jalapenos, seeds removed, finely chopped
3 garlic cloves, peeled, finely chopped
1 1/2 lb tomatillos, roasted, peeled, chopped (or 2 small cans crushed tomatillos)
1 tbsp. dried oregano
2 tsp. ground cumin
2 bay leaves
1 bunch cilantro leaves, cleaned, chopped

Directions:
Season pork meat with salt and pepper; place in 5 quart crock-pot with chicken stock. Let cook until tender (4-5 hours). Remove; cool. Remove all fat and gross stuff off meat. Cut into small 1/2" pieces or shred. Skim off fat from broth and return to crock-pot along with cut up meat. Add all remaining ingredients. Simmer for 2-3 hours covered. Adjust the seasoning to taste with salt and pepper.

(I cooked the meat one day, cooled it in the fridge overnight to get all the fat and gross stuff off and combined everything the next day.)

Country Honey and Oats Wheat Bread

After fiddling with a few recipes for my new bread machine, I finally am satisfied, at least for this first recipe. This bread looks like white but.....guess again.

Country Oats and Wheat Bread

1 1/2 cup warm milk

4 tbsp butter, melted

2 tbsp honey

1 large egg, slightly beaten

1 tsp salt

2 cups bread flour

1 cup whole wheat flour

1 cup quick oats
2 tbsp vital wheat gluten

2 1/4 tsp active dry yeast

Measure and add milk, butter, honey and egg to bread machine pan. Add salt, bread flour, wheat flour, oats and gluten. Spread dry ingredients over liquid so yeast never comes in contact with the liquid. Add yeast last. 

Mix in machine on dough setting. Remove from bread machine and form into one or two loaves. Place in greased or sprayed bread pans. Let rise 1" above pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes. Rub top with butter. Let cool.