Cheddar Biscuits

I continue to profess my love for Angel Biscuits. However, sometimes when I fail to plan ahead I need a pinch hitter.

Cheddar Biscuits
2 cups flour
2 T sugar
4 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper (optional)
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup (1 stick) cold butter
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
3/4 cup buttermilk

Preheat oven to 425. Mix together flour, sugar, powder, salt, and cayenne, if using. (I left the salt out because I was using salted butter.) Cut in butter to dry mixture until butter is in very small pieces. Gently stir in cheese, then add buttermilk. Stir lightly with fork or lightly knead with your hands. Be gentle with biscuit dough and mix it as little as possible. When dough is combined, roll out and cut as desired. Bake on lightly greased cookie sheet (or use parchment) for 12-15 minutes.

Do You Fancy Yourself a Home Canner?

I must say a few words about home canning. I'm something of a fanatic- Janet and I put away hundreds of jars every year. It's hugely nerdy and I fully embrace that. Canning rumors abound, however, and I want to set the record straight. Read this to find out why.

1. If you are canning "just the way your grandma did it" then there is a very real likelihood that you are going to kill yourself, especially if you are canning anything containing vegetables or tomatoes. Over the past few decades, foods (particularly tomatoes) have been bred for a sweeter taste, which has changed their acidity, which means that processing methods and times that were adequate for your grandma are no longer adequate now.

2. The purpose of processing (when you boil your goods in either a canner or a pressure cooker) is not merely to achieve a vacuum seal on your jars. Many people think that if you ladle your hot food into jars you can simply turn them upside down, let them cool, and turn them upside right, and if the jars seal, you are fine. This is not the case. The boiling of your jars is necessary to kill bacteria, and the entire processing time is required to heat the food to a high enough temperature to eliminate these bacteria. The mere achievement of a vacuum seal does not mean that your food has been rendered safe.

3. Creativity is not allowed. If you are making salsa, for instance, you can't add additional peppers just because you feel like it: the addition of additional vegetables changes the pH of the food, which in turn changes the necessary processing time. Find a different recipe for a salsa you do like, or submit your current (or grandma's) recipe to your local extension agent for analysis. Follow the recipes exactly, including ingredients, processing method, and processing times.

Here are some reliable sources- Colorado State Extension, Utah State Extension, "Putting Food By" by Greene, Hertzberg, and Vaughn, or the Ball Blue Book.

Are you a little afraid now? Good. That's the first step to being a successful home canner.

Roasted Chicken and Pears

If you have more than a dozen pear trees (I do), you need to get serious about preserving them, eating them, and/or shoveling their rotting carcasses into the dumpster. I am choosing to eat some of them like this:

Roasted Chicken and Pears
2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breast
4 tsp olive oil
2 pears, cored
1 T honey
4 stalks celery, thinly sliced
2 oz (3/4 cup) crumbled blue cheese
1 T champagne vinegar
6 oz baby spinach

Preheat oven to 450. Place chicken on one side of an 18"x12" jelly-roll pan; pat dry. Brush with 2 tsp of olive oil and sprinkle with 1/4 tsp salt. Roast chicken 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, thinly slice pears lengthwise. In a large bowl toss pears, honey, remaining 2 tsp oil, and 1/4 tsp pepper until evenly coated. When chicken has roasted 10 minutes, add pears to other side of pan. Roast an additional 15 minutes or until juices run clear when chicken is pierced with a knife.

While chicken and pears are roasting, combine celery, blue cheese, vinegar, and 1/8 tsp pepper.

Divide spinach among 4 plates; place chicken on top, along with pears and any pan juices. Top with celery mixture.

Crisp Ravioli with Roasted Tomato Sauce

I confess: I've not made this yet- it's on the schedule for this week, but I can tell it is going to be so good.

Crisp Ravioli with Roasted Tomato Sauce
from Cooking Light

2 T water
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1 cup panko (Japanese breadcrumbs)
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 9(oz) package fresh ravioli
3 T olive oil, divided
4 cups grape tomatoes, halved
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
3 garlic cloves, coarsely chopped

Heat a large skillet over medium high heat. Combine water and egg in a shallow dish, stirring well. Combine panko and cheese in a shallow dish, also stirring well. Dip each ravioli in egg mixture then dredge in panko mixture. Add half of the olive oil to hot skillet, swirling to coat. Saute half of ravioli in a single layer, 1 minute on each side or until golden. Remove from pan and drain on paper towels. Add remaining oil and repeat the process with last half of the ravioli. Wipe skillet with paper towels, then add tomatoes, salt, and pepper to pan, saute 2 minutes, stirring frequently. Add garlic to pan, saute 30 seconds. Divide ravioli even among four plates, top each serving with 1/2 cup of tomato sauce.

Chocolate Eclair Dessert

Sometimes you need a dessert that requires no baking, can be made ahead, and has simple ingredients. Here is the ticket.

Chocolate Eclair Dessert

2 packages graham crackers
2 small packages instant french vanilla pudding
3 cups milk
8 oz. Cool Whip

Chocolate Glaze:
3 T cocoa
3 T milk
1/4 cup butter
1 tsp vanilla
2 cups powdered sugar

Whisk together pudding mixes and milk until smooth and thick. Fold in Cool Whip. Line a 9x13 pan with one layer of graham crackers (you may have to break them a little smaller to cover the whole bottom. It won't matter- just cover as much of the bottom of the pan as much as possible.). Carefully pour half of the pudding mixture over the graham crackers. Cover with another layer of graham cracker sheets, followed by the rest of the pudding, followed by another layer of graham crackers. Pour chocolate glaze over top, cover, and refrigerate overnight before serving.

For the glaze: In a small saucepan heat the milk, cocoa, and butter until boiling. Whisk in vanilla and powdered sugar. This should be runny enough to pour easily.

Baked Potato Soup

It's obvious I'm a hug fan of Cooking Light. Most of the recipes I make as written. Others (like this one), I make the Cooking Light way once, then I think to myself, "I'm going to put some of the fat right back in this because it is totally worth it." So, although the seed of this recipe came from CL, I'm quite certain they would NEVER claim it.

Baked Potato Soup
2.5 pounds baking potatoes
2/3 cup flour
1 stick (1/2 cup) butter
6 cups milk
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1 cup sour cream
3/4 cup chopped green onion
6 bacon slices, cooked and crumbled

Bake potatoes, let cool, and scrape out insides. Coarsely mash and set aside.

Melt butter in large stock pot. Saute onion in butter for 2-3 minutes. Whisk in flour and cook for 1 minute, whisking constantly (Seriously. Whisk constantly. If you burn your roux you will be starting over.). Whisk in milk (true confession: sometimes I substitute 2 cups of heavy cream for 2 cups of the milk). Cook until slightly thickened, whisking frequently. Stir in potatoes, cheese, sour cream, salt, pepper, and bacon. Heat through.

Top with additional chopped onion, cheese, and bacon. This is a great one to serve in bread bowls.

Lirio's Famous Salsa

I have an unbelievable sister-in-law. Her name is Lirio, and she is from Mexico. She has given me an education on real Mexican cuisine, and one of my favorites is her salsa. I love fresh salsa in Mexican restaurants, and this is like that.

Lirio's Salsa:
First, take 2-4 dried whole chiles and bring them to a boil in a little water, enough to cover the chiles by an inch or two.

(Before boiling, this is what they look like.) You can find these in the Mexican food aisle of Walmart or any large grocer. Simmer them until they are soft and a lighter shade of red, anywhere from 15 to 30 minutes. 2 peppers will give you mild salsa, 4 will give you hot salsa. Plan accordingly.

Then, in a blender, combine:

the softened chiles, 2 small cans of tomato sauce, 1 small onion, 1 large tomato, 1-2 cloves of garlic, salt and pepper to taste. Blend well. (If you are me, you will also put in a squeeze of lime juice and about 1 tablespoon of cider vinegar.)

This is the base. You can stop here if you want. But, if you like the chunky salsa, you can add additional diced tomatoes, diced onion, green chiles, diced jalapenos, or fresh cilantro to your liking. This is tastiest the next day. And the day after that. And the day after that.

Zucchini Bread

Zucchini Bread

Preheat oven to 325.

Whisk together:
3 eggs
1 cup oil (I did half oil/half applesauce)
2 cups sugar (I used half white/half brown)
1-2 tsp vanilla

Add:
3 cups flour (white or wheat is fine)
1 tsp salt
1 tsp soda
1 tsp baking powder
3 tsp cinnamon

Mix lightly then add:
2 cups grated zucchini

Divided into two greased loaf pans and bake for 55-60 minutes (mine took 58). Let cool for 5 minutes, remove from pans, then cool completely on a rack.

Chicken and Black Bean Chili

The weather has taken a little turn this week and is starting to feel a little "fall-ish." It makes me want SOUP. I'm posting a few of my favorites.

Chicken and Black Bean Chili
from Cheryl

3 cans black beans, drained
1 (4 0z.) can mild green chiles
2/3 cup chopped red onion
2/3 cup chopped celery
2/3 cup chopped red peppper
2/3 cup chopped leeks (white part only)
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tsp oregano
1 stick (1/2 cup) butter
1/4 cup flour
4 cups shredded chicken or turkey
5 cups chicken broth
2 1/2 cups thawed frozen corn
2 T chili powder
1 T ground cumin
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 cup brown sugar

In a stock pot, saute chiles, onion, celery, peppers, leeks, garlic, and oregano in the butter over moderate heat until soft. Whisk flour into butter and veggies and cook for 1 to 2 minutes. Whisk in chicken broth and heat until slightly thickened. Puree half of the corn in the blender (hold out about a cup of the chicken broth and put it with the corn- it will go easier). Add blended corn, remaining corn, meat, beans, and spices, heat throughly. Serve garnished with tortilla chips and sour cream.

Chili

I know, I know. Everyone in the world has THE BEST chili recipe. I'm not claiming that this is the very best one, just that it is very good.

Ron Carlson's Chili
From Mykin

2 pounds ground beef
1 cup EACH chopped celery, chopped onion, chopped bell pepper
2 cans drained kidney beans
16 oz tomato sauce
16 oz stewed tomatoes
1 1/2 cups ketchup
1/4 cup lemon juice
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 bay leaf
1 T chili powder
2 tsp cumin
1 1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp dry mustard
2 T Worcestershire sauce

Brown and drain hamburger. Add celery, peppers, and onion and saute a couple of minutes. Add everything else and simmer at least one hour.

Roasted Tomato Soup

Does your garden runneth over? Unfortunately mine isn't, but when it does this is one of my favorite ways to use up cherry tomatoes.

Roasted Tomato Soup
from Family Fun

6 cups cherry tomatoes
3 T olive oil
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
2 T butter
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 cup chopped onion
1 28-oz can diced tomatoes
4 cups chicken broth
1/2 tsp thyme
1 cup whipping cream (or fat free half and half)

Heat the oven to 400. On a baking sheet, combine the cherry tomatoes, 2T of the olive oil, and the salt and pepper. Toss ingredients to coat evenly and spread them in a single layer. Roast the tomatoes until they are shriveled with brown spots, about 35-45 minutes.

In a large pot, heat the butter and the remaining tablespoon of oil over medium heat. Add the garlic and onion and saute until softened, about 6 minutes. Add the canned tomatoes with their juice, the broth, the thyme, and the roasted tomatoes, including any liquid on the baking sheet. Bring the mixture to a boil, the reduce the heat and simmer, partially covered, for 40 minutes.

Using a food processor or blender, puree the soup until it's smooth. Return it to the pot and stir in the cream. Warm the soup without letting it boil. Salt and pepper to taste.

Taco Meat

Okay, I get it. Those taco packets from the store are incredibly convenient. I'm guilty of using them. But, sometimes, when you are mid-taco, don't you ever think, "This reminds me of a chemical..." I do. That's why I love this recipe for beef tacos from my friend Janet.

Beef Taco Meat
2 T oil
1 small onion
3 medium cloves garlic
2 T chili powder
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground coriander
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
salt and pepper to taste
1 lb. ground beef
1/2 cup tomato sauce
1/2 cup chicken broth
1 tsp brown sugar
2 tsp cider vinegar

Heat oil, add onion and cook until tender. Add garlic, spices, 1/2 tsp salt. Cook until fragrant. Add beef and cook until no longer pink. Add tomato sauce, broth (true confession: I usually skip the broth and just dump a small can of tomato sauce in and call it good), brown sugar, and vinegar. Reduce heat to low and simmer until thick.

Also, if I am feeding a crowd, I like to drain and rinse a can of red or black beans and toss those in with the tomato sauce.

Peanut Butter Buttercream Frosting

I'd be a giant jerk if I didn't tell you how to make this. Try it on your next chocolate cake.

Peanut Butter Buttercream
1 cup smooth peanut butter
1/2 cup butter
1 lb. powdered sugar
2 tsp vanilla
2-4 T milk

In the bowl of a mixer, mix together butter, peanut butter, and vanilla and whip until smooth. Add powdered sugar and milk as needed to reach desired consistency. Let your mixer run a few minutes so it is smooth and creamy.