Recipes

From time to time, even the busiest of us like to get into the kitchen to cook and bake.  Here you'll find some of my favorite recipes - all easy to make and delicious.  Look for quick and easy meals for the masses, light and easy, and my favorite - sweets! 

Souper Easy Chicken Enchilada Soup (Quick Recipe)

As much as I'd love to add the gourmet chef's hat to my mix of hats, I must confess that I cook for function and feeding.  Over the years, luckily, function and taste have found their way together into many of my recipes.

One of my favorite quick and easy meals to make is soup.  It's one of those meals that you can throw together quickly and just let cook on the stove.  Many of my recipes, including Souper Easy Enchilada Soup was born on an evening when I had very little time, very little in the cupboard, and a few leftovers in the fridge and freezer.  I put them all together in a pot and an hour later, one of our family favorites made its way into our fare. 

You'll notice that this is noted as the "Quick Recipe".  If you really, really, really want to, you can make it the "Long Recipe" by using fresh cut vegitables instead of frozen and canned.  It's totally up to you. Just keep in mind... it will take you a bit longer.

Ingredients:

10 Cups Water
1lb Boneless Chicken Breast Cut in cubes (Left-overs or Canned work great!)
1 12oz Jar Enchilada Sauce
1 Can Diced Tomatoes
2 Cups Frozen Corn (equiv. 1 small pkg)
2 Cups Frozen Tri-Colored Peppers
3/4 C. Onion
2 Cloves Garlic (or 1/2 tsp. garlic powder, or 2 tsp. crushed) 
2 Heaping TBS of Chicken Bullion Concentrate (or 4 cubes)
Salt to Taste

Garnish: Tortilla Chips, Shredded Cheese
Serves: Approx 8-10 (6-8 if your family is really hungry!)

Place all ingredients except salt into a large (about 8 quart) pot.  Give it a good stir.  Bring to a boil on high for approximately 20-25 minutes stirring occasionally.  Reduce heat and add salt if needed.  Let simmer until ready to serve.  Ladle into bowls and serve with shredded cheese and tortilla chips. That's it! 
 

Notes:

If you don't have Enchilada Sauce on hand, you can make your own by using a 12oz can of tomato sauce and adding 1 tsp. cumin, 1 tsp. onion powder, and a dash of salt. 

I am a huge Trader Joe's fan and love to use their frozen sweet corn, frozen tricolor peppers, enchilada sauce, and diced tomatoes.  Any brands will work - but Trader Joe's is my favorite.  I also like to use Better than Bullion by Superior Touch . 







Dark Chocolate Espresso Crinkles

¾ c. butter
2c dark brown Sugar packed
1 ¼ c DARK coco powder
3 heaping Tbs. instant espresso powder
2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. allspice
Pinch of salt
4 egg whites
6-7 oz vanilla yogurt (one standard serving cup)
3 ½ c. flour
Granulated sugar

Cream butter and sugar. Add coco powder, espresso powered, baking soda, allspice, salt. Mix on medium till well blended. Combine and stir egg whites and yogurt. Pour into mixer and blend till incorporated. Slowly add flour. Dough will be thick (able to hold form) but sticky. If dough won't hold shape, add additional flour 1/4 cup at a time till it does. Refrigerate dough for 45-60 minutes.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spoon out by tablespoon into palm. If dough is very sticky, grease hands OR put spoonful directly into a bowl of granulated sugar. Form a ball and roll in granulated sugar. Place on cookie sheet and SLIGHTLY flatten. Bake for 12-15 minutes, till edges slightly crisp and middle holds shape when touched. Makes approximately 60 cookies.

Delicious Gingerbread Cookies!  

Holiday weekends are often spent in the kitchen with my beautiful daughters. We have our annual gingerbread cookie baking days. Each year the recipe seems to change jyst a bit. For some reason, I can't hold onto the recipe from year to year. But, this year the recipe I modified from a basic recipe is going into my recipe box and up here on my blog.


Amazing Gingerbread Cookies
1/2 c. Butter
1/2 c. sugar
1t ginger
1/2 t cloves
1/2 t cinnamon
1/2 t cardamom
1t bkg. powder
1/2 t bkg soda
2 1/2 c. flour
1/2 C. robust molasses
1 egg
1T vinegar

Beat butter and sugar till combined. Add baking powder, baking soda and all spices. Beat until combined. Add molasses, egg and vinegar and beat until combined. Slowly add flour to mixture and blend until it is all incorporated. Dough will be thick.

Split dough and form two balls. Refrigerate until stiff. Roll to 1/8 -1/4 inch thickness and bake at 350 degrees for 7-10 minutes until dough golden brown and set. Yields 3-4 dozen cookies depending on size of cutters. Enjoy!

Triple Threat Cookies

Yes that's right, triple threat!

For years I have made one simple dough and ended up with three amazingly rich and yummy cookies. It is and easy and quick, simple (but rich) sugar cookie recipe that I have jazzed for the holidays - and now I am sharing it with you.

Ingredients
6 c. flour
1 1/2 t. baking powder
1/2 t. salt
2 c. butter
2 c. sugar
2 eggs
2 T. evaporated milk
1 T. vanilla

Extras
3/4 C. pistachio meats
1/2 c. dried and diced cherries
1 c. white chocolate chips

1/2 c. chopped walnuts
1/2 c. dried cranberries
1 c. dark chocolate chips
Cream sugar and butter on low speed until smooth. Add milk and vanilla and eggs and continue to mix on low speed. Sift flour, salt, and baking soda. Slowly add mixture to wet ingredients until incorporated and a stiff dough forms.

Divide the dough into thirds. In one third, mix pistachios, cherries and white chocolate chips into the dough by hand. Roll the dough into a tube shape, wrap in plastic or wax paper and refrigerate until dough is very firm, 1-2 hours. Once firm, preheat oven to 400 degrees, slice the dough into 1/4 inch slices and cook on a greased cookie sheet for approx. 7 minutes or until dough begins to lightly brown and is set.

Repeat the above directions for a second third of the dough.

The final third of the dough can be chilled and sliced for plain cookies, or you can get creative with it and add your own mix ins. Enjoy!