Tracy's Tastebuds

French Market Apple Pie

2010-10-08T09:32:00.007-05:00

Although it makes me feel guilty to eat, one of my favorite desserts is this luscious, rich apple pie. When I was a child, my mom made the more traditional version of apple pie with the double crust. For the filling, she would simply sprinkle a little flour and sugar over the apples and let them sit to sweeten and thicken slightly. Being a brown sugar-holic, I searched for a more flavorful, brown sugar-using version of apple pie as I began to cook.

This recipe is a hybrid of several recipes I've tried over the years. I love crumb topping (more brown sugar, yeah!!), and this recipe is from a 1950's Betty Crocker cookbook I found in an antique store several years ago (don't even get me started on the hilarious and (these days) slightly offensive advice for housewives the cookbook has sprinkled throughout...stuff such as "about 30 minutes before your husband arrives home from work, comb your hair, apply fresh lipstick and make sure the kids are quiet. Remember, he's had a hard day at work and will appreciate the quiet haven he comes home to." Seriously.) The filling is thanks to my sister Becky, who calls it Special Sauce.

If you love brown sugar, I think you'll prefer the richer flavor and texture this apple pie has to offer. Have fun making it!

French Market Apple Pie

Crust:
1 cup flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1/3 cup plus 1 tbl. Butter Flavored Crisco Shortening
2-3 tbl. ice water

Mix flour and salt in medium bowl. Using pastry cutter or a knife, cut in shortening until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Sprinkle water over flour mixture and mix with a fork until flour is moistened. Gather together and press firmly into a ball.

On a lightly floured surface, flatten pastry ball slightly with your hand, then using a floured rolling pin, roll out from center to edges to approximately 1/8" thickness and 10" across. Carefully roll up flattened dough onto rolling pin, then unroll and gently ease into pan, being careful not to stretch the dough. Using kitchen shears, trim any edges that are more than 1" over pie pan edge, then gently roll 1" overhang up to form crust edge. For a decorative fluted effect, firmly place your right index finger on the inside of the rim and the left thumb and index finger around the pastry at the same point. Pinch. Repeat all around the edge of the pie. Sharpen points by pinching each one firmly.

Filling:
4 tbl. butter
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 cup Light Karo Syrup
1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
6-7 cups unpeeled, thinly sliced baking apples (such as Granny Smith, approx 6-7 med. apples)

Preheat oven to 400º. Wash and core apples. Either by hand or using a food processor, thinly slice unpeeled apples. In large saucepan over medium heat, mix together 4 tbl. butter, cinnamon, Karo and 1/2 cup brown sugar until well blended. Add sliced apples and sautée until apples are about halfway cooked, approximately 3-4 minutes. Remove from heat and cool slightly.

Add apples to pie crust. Important: do not overfill.You may have leftover filling, which you can serve as its own dessert.

Crumb topping:
1 stick butter
1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
1 cup flour

Mix brown sugar and flour, then cut in butter until crumbly. Hint: This can be done by hand or in a food processor. Make sure butter is cold.

Spread crumb topping over pie and distribute evenly. Place pie pan on a cookie sheet (to catch filling that may bubble up and out) and bake for 45-55 minutes. If pie crust begins to brown too much, cover edges with a thin strip of foil or a pie crust protector (available at your local supermarket).

Serve warm.

Soft Pretzels

2010-06-10T10:46:00.000-05:00

This outstanding recipe comes from my good friend, Lyne. She and I have known each other for more than 15 years, but only in the last few years realized that we both share a love for cooking. Lyne was kind enough to share with me her recipe for soft pretzels, which she said took her quite some time to come up with. She developed the recipe on her own after buying a soft pretzel mix from Williams Sonoma. The price tag was fairly hefty, so Lyne set out to replicate the recipe from scratch. She went through a number of recipes, keeping the best parts and adding them to her developing recipe. The end result is this scrumptious, flavorful and easy recipe. The recipe gives instructions for traditional salt pretzels, but because of my sweet tooth, I decided to make half of the pretzels salt and the other half cinnamon/sugar. Both were mouth-watering delicious, and as usual, I had to fight the kids to get a couple for myself before they were history. Thanks, Lyne, for a fantastic recipe!!

Soft Pretzels

· 2 ¼ c. warm water
· ½ c. brown sugar
· 1 tbl. salt
· 1 packet yeast
· 4-5 c. flour
· Oil or oil spray
· 3 tbl. baking soda
· Coarse kosher salt
· Medium bowl for dipping solution
· Baking stones or sheets

Step 1
Put warm water, brown sugar, and salt in a large bowl. Stir to dissolve sugar and salt. Sprinkle the yeast on top of the warm water solution. Let sit for a few minutes.

Step 2
Add 4 cups of flour to the liquid. Stir. Add the last cup of flour little by little, mixing it in just until you have a medium stiff dough that you can knead. You don’t HAVE to use all of the flour unless you need to.

Step 3
Knead by hand until the dough looks smooth and is a bit stretchy. Oil a big glass or stainless steel bowl very lightly (1 tbsp.), and put the dough in bowl. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and put bowl on a stone over electric stove that has been turned on to keep stone warm. I place a small towel between the stone and the bottom of the bowl so it is not too hot. Do not do this on a gas stove or it will crack the pizza stone. If you have a gas stove, warm stone in oven while you prepare dough, them put on a burner (but do not turn it on) and continue. Place a towel over plastic wrap and let dough rise, undisturbed, for about an hour.

Step 4
Preheat the oven to 500 degrees.

Step 5
When dough is ready, grab a handful of dough, dust some flour on your hands and roll the dough like a snake (about 1½ feet long). Twist into a pretzel shape (cross ends over twice and press them to the top of the pretzel). When shaped, leave pretzels on a floured surface (so they don’t stick together).

Step 6
When all pretzels are shaped, Dip twisted pretzels, one by one, completely into a solution of 3 tablespoons of baking soda and 2 cups of warm water (105°F). This will promote browning.

Immediately after dipping the pretzel, place it on a dry kitchen towel for a moment (to catch excess liquid) and place the pretzel on a baking stone.

Step 7
For salt-crusted pretzels, sprinkle pretzels with coarse kosher salt to taste.
For cinnamon/sugar pretzels, omit salt.

Step 8
Bake for 7-8 minutes or until browned.

For cinnamon/sugar pretzels, mix cinnamon and sugar to taste. Melt 3-4 tbl. butter and brush tops of pretzels with butter, then sprinkle with cinnamon/sugar blend.

Serve salt-crusted pretzels with regular yellow mustard.

These are best served right away so they're warm. If that's not possible, warm in 200º oven for a few minutes and serve.

Chicken Divan

2010-04-27T18:50:00.003-05:00

Chicken Divan (pronounced dih-van (like the automobile), and with the accent on the 2nd syllable) originated in the 1950's at Divan Parisienne, a New York restaurant, and there are lots and lots of recipes for it out there. I've compared a number of them to this family recipe, and none sound as good or as simple. The beauty of many dishes, I believe, is in their simplicity, and this rendition of Chicken Divan is one of those. No need to go overboard here. The key is the lovely and extremely flavorful sherry cream sauce that is poured over the casserole prior to baking. It gives the dish a rich, elegant flavor that will impress guests or just delight your family. It's great just by itself, or you can serve it over rice for added heartiness.

Chicken Divan

1 whole chicken, roasted and deskinned/deboned, or 1 rotisserie chicken, deskinned/deboned
2, 10 oz. packages frozen broccoli florets
6 tbl. butter, divided
3 tbl. flour
2 cups chicken broth
6 tbl. dry sherry
1/2 lb. grated cheddar cheese
salt/pepper

Preheat oven to 400º. Cook broccoli per package directions. Drain well and add 2 tbl. butter and salt/pepper. Add to bottom of medium casserole dish. Melt remaining butter in saucepan over medium-high heat. Blend in flour until smooth, then slowly add broth, stirring until thick. Add sherry and season to taste with salt and pepper. Remove from heat and pour half the sauce over broccoli. Layer chicken over broccoli and pour remaining sauce over chicken. Add grated cheese to top. Bake for 15-20 minutes until bubbly. Remove from oven and let sit for 5 minutes. Serve over rice.

Serves 6.

Mom's Southwest Stacked Enchiladas

2010-03-12T11:44:00.002-06:00

My mom grew up in far West Texas near the borders of Mexico and New Mexico. As a result, I grew up eating Mexican food long before it was as popular as it is now. The difference is that my mom's style of Tex-Mex was heavily influenced by Southwest Mex, which gave some of her dishes an interesting twist. These enchiladas are a prime example. Until we moved to San Antonio when I was 9, I'd never seen rolled enchiladas. Mom had always made these flat, stacked enchiladas that were topped with a fried egg. Yes, I said fried egg. Seems weird, but the blending of the creamy egg yolk and spicy meat and sauce is one of the best parts of the dish. I've had a fair number of guests hesitate to accept the egg, but every single one has moaned in delight and surprise at the deliciousness of it all. I was surprised a few years ago to find that Chuy's, a chain Mexican restaurant here in Texas, not only has their version of Southwest Enchiladas on the menu, they top it with a fried egg!

Although I am fully capable of making a delish, homemade enchilada sauce, I grew up eating these with Old El Paso Mild Enchilada Sauce and to this day, that's still how I prefer them. Call it nostalgia, but they're just not the same for me without that sauce. You're welcome to try them with whatever sauce you prefer and start your own family tradition of flat enchiladas. As you'll see, there are no hard and fast rules to this recipe – the amount of meat, tortillas, sauce and cheese you use is all dependent on how many people are eating and how many "stacks" each wants. Most people find a two stack is plenty, but heartier eaters might want as many as four (like my sons). So, adjust as you go to find what's right for you and the folks you're feeding.

Mom's Southwest Stacked Enchiladas
(Note: recipe assumes 4 people eating 2 stacks each)

1 lb ground beef
1 tbl comino
1 tsp black pepper
3 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp salt
8 corn tortillas
Shredded Colby-Jack or Cheddar cheese (as much as you prefer)
4 eggs
1, 19 oz can Old El Paso Enchilada Sauce (your choice on the heat; I use Mild)
Oil for frying tortillas
Chopped onions (optional)

Set eggs out to come to room temperature. In medium skillet, brown ground beef with spices. Cover and set aside. Heat enchilada sauce in medium sauce pan until warm. In small skillet, heat oil until shimmering, but not smoking. Dip each tortilla in oil for 2-3 seconds. Transfer to paper towels to drain.

Assemble Stacks
Submerge a tortilla in enchilada sauce, then place on a plate. Add another spoonful of sauce, then cover with a layer of meat and add onions if desired. Top with a small handful of cheese. Repeat this process as necessary for the number of stacks desired. Microwave 1-2 minutes until cheese melts.

In same oil used for tortillas, fry each egg, then place on top of enchilada stacks and serve.

Serves approximately 4.

Delectable Italian Meatballs

2010-03-05T09:24:00.001-06:00

Who doesn't love spaghetti and meatballs? I know I do, and I especially love the meatball part. When they're done properly, meatballs are tender, juicy and oh so flavorful! Done wrong, they can ruin the entire meal. I've spent several years trying out different meatball recipes, and the one listed here is a result of all of the goods and not-so-goods I've encountered. The blend of ground beef and ground pork is an important part of the recipe, since the pork adds additional flavor and just the right amount of moisture to the ground beef, which alone could be a little dry. One other tip: remember not to over-sauce the pasta. It will drown out the flavor of your yummy meatballs and is against the Italian tradition of only putting enough sauce to moisten the pasta. I usually serve this dish with freshly shredded Parmesan cheese on top, but you could also add shredded mozzarella. Don't forget to try it with freshly baked ciabatta bread on the side!

Delectable Italian Meatballs

1/2 lb lean ground beef
1/2 lb ground pork
1/4 cup Garlic Italian salad dressing
1/2 cup Italian style breadcrumbs
2 tbl dried parsley flakes
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 tsp kosher salt
2 cloves garlic, finely minced
2 tbl Italian seasoning
1 large egg

Preheat oven to 400º.

Crumble meat in large mixing bowl and mix together. Set aside. In smaller bowl, beat egg, then add all other ingredients. Mix well and add to meat. Stir or mix with hands until well blended.

Using hands, form meatballs. (Tip: for consistent size, use a melon baller to measure out about a tablespoon of meat) Place on a baking sheet coated with non-stick cooking spray.

Bake for 10 minutes. Remove from oven and turn meatballs once. Bake for another 10 - 15 minutes until meatballs are nicely browned. Serve over pasta with marinara sauce.

Serves: 4-6
Prep Time: 15 min
Cook Time: 20 min
Total Time: 35 min

Calories: 326.22
Cholesterol: 96.636 mg
Fat: 17.569 g
Saturated Fat: 6.882 g
Calories From Fat: 27.6
Protein: 23.084 g
Carbohydrates: 18.797 g
Sodium: 1045.3 mg
Fiber: 2.72 g
Trans Fat: 0.241 g
Sugars: 2.187 g

Stuffed Pork Tenderloin

2010-03-05T09:07:00.000-06:00

First of all, let me apologize for the long absence. Shortly after my last post, I had neck/spine surgery, which has kept me from doing much cooking. Things are back to normal now, thankfully, so I'm going to do my best to catch up with my posts!

If you're planning a dinner party or just want to make a special meal for your family or spouse, this stuffed pork tenderloin is an excellent choice. Not only is it fairly easy to put together, but it cooks quickly and shows beautifully. One of the other benefits is that you can serve a lot of people easily just by adding one or two more tenderloins. The stuffing is aromatic and flavorful, and the combination of the meat juices and the stuffing makes a delectable gravy. Trust me, it's impressive, and people will think you slaved for hours or are a gourmet cook. This is definitely a win-win recipe!

Stuffed Pork Tenderloin

3 pounds pork tenderloin (approx 2 tenderloins)
2 tbl. olive oil
1 tbl. butter
1 cup pine nuts
1 tbl. garlic, finely sliced
1 tbl. fresh basil, chopped

Salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 400ºF.

Trim silver skin and any fat from tenderloins. Slice almost all the way through and spread open. Place each between sheets of wax paper and pound lightly to flatten. Season with salt and pepper.

In a skillet, melt the butter and add the pine nuts. Sautée until lightly browned. Add the garlic and basil, and season with salt and pepper. Sautée for 1 more minute. Remove from heat and refrigerate for 15 minutes.

Place stuffing in food processor and pulse quickly once or twice. Do not over-process or stuffing will be mushy. Spread stuffing over roasts, then roll closed and tie, making sure to close off the ends.

In an oven-proof skillet over high heat, heat oil and sear the roasts on all sides. Season with salt and pepper and bake approximately 15-20 minutes per pound (check roasts at 15 minutes, then add the other 5 minutes if necessary). Since roasts will continue cooking after being removed from oven, it's OK if the meat is just slightly pink. Do not overbake or roasts will be dry.

Remove from oven and let stand 10 minutes. Slice and serve with gravy made from drippings (if desired).

Calories: 500.42
Cholesterol: 103.65 mg
Fat: 37.685 g
Saturated Fat: 4.9928 g
Calories From Fat: 43.2
Protein: 37.411 g
Carbohydrates: 6.1263 g
Sodium: 95.961 mg
Fiber: 1.5725 g
Trans Fat: 0.0318 g
Sugars: 1.47 g

Quick Green Chicken Enchiladas

2010-01-30T22:58:00.000-06:00

Time is always in short supply in my life, it seems, so cooking shortcuts – good ones, that is – are always welcome. Although I prefer cooking completely from scratch, the reality is that it's not always possible. When you have four hungry kids and a husband all asking, "When's dinner?" you learn to accept that there's no shame in relying on pre-fab food, to an extent. Tonight, I was in the mood for Mexican food, which I almost always am, but by the time everything was sorted out and I got around to thinking about dinner, it was already 6:00, and the moaning about dinner was on the rise. Something quick was called for! What I had on hand was a can of green enchilada sauce, a rotisserie chicken, and some corn tortillas, among other things. To me, that spelled green chicken enchiladas. The canned sauce, a new brand that I hadn't tried before, was fairly tasty on its own, but somewhat watery and a little too salty. I prefer richer, creamier sauces, so I decided to add some sour cream for much-needed creaminess (and to cut the salt a bit), and I added some fresh cilantro for enhanced flavor. The rotisserie chicken was fresh and juicy, but bland, so it was sauteed with onions and green chilies. The end result was quick, easy and earned a rave review from the family!

NOTE: If the brand of sauce I mention in the recipe isn't available in your local stores, experiment with what's available until you find one you like.

Quick Green Chicken Enchiladas

28-oz can Las Palmas Green Chile Enchilada Sauce (Medium)

1 rotisserie chicken (preferably no flavoring or seasoning added)

24 corn tortillas

4 oz can chopped green chiles (your choice on the spiciness; I used mild)

1 medium onion, chopped

2 tbl butter

1/2 cup fresh cilantro, chopped (plus more for garnish, if desired)

1/2 cup light sour cream (plus more for garnish, if desired)

8 oz shredded Monterrey Jack cheese

2-3 oz shredded cheddar cheese

1 cup vegetable oil

1-2 avocados, sliced (optional)

Pre-heat oven to 350º.

De-bone rotisserie chicken and shred meat. In large skillet, melt butter and add chopped onions. Sautée until nearly transparent, then add green chilies and chicken. Mix well and cook until heated through, about 2-3 minutes. Set aside.

Pour canned enchilada sauce into small saucepan. Heat until warm, then add sour cream and cilantro. Remove from heat and stir until smooth and creamy.

In small skillet, heat oil until shimmering but not smoking. Fry each tortilla 2-3 seconds. Drain on paper towels. Add about 1/3 cup chicken mixture to each tortilla, then roll and place seam side down in a large casserole dish. Once all enchiladas are rolled, pour sauce over all, making sure to cover all the ends so none of the enchiladas gets too crispy. Top with cheese and bake, uncovered, 15 minutes. Garnish with additional sour cream, cilantro and avocado slices, if desired.

Makes 2 dozen enchiladas.

Margherita Pizza

2010-01-14T14:40:00.002-06:00

When pondering what to make for dinner yesterday, I decided a pizza would be most excellent. So, I made a batch of whole wheat pizza crust, then made one of my personal favorites – a Margherita Pizza. No, it doesn't have lime or tequila in it. What it does have are juicy, fresh roma tomatoes, fragrant and flavorful fresh basil, and mmm-mmm rich mozzarella cheese. All of this is layered on top of olive oil for a wonderfully light, but incredibly delicious pizza. If you've never had a margherita pizza before, then you're missing out. Try this simple recipe right away!!

Margherita Pizza (for a 14-inch pizza)

1 pizza crust (homemade or store bought)

3 tablespoons olive oil

3-5 roma tomatoes, sliced

1/2 cup fresh basil, cut into thin strips

2 teaspoons kosher salt

2 cups mozzarella cheese

Preheat oven (and pizza stone, if using one) to 425 degrees F. (If using a store-bought crust, follow the directions on the package.) Brush the crust with the olive oil, then add the sliced tomatoes. Distribute the sliced basil evenly over tomatoes, then sprinkle with the salt. Add the cheese, then bake for 14-16 minutes or until cheese is melted and bubbling. Using a pizza cutter, cut into 6 or 8 pieces and serve immediately.

Whole Wheat Pizza Crust

2010-01-14T14:19:00.000-06:00

Like about a billion other people, I'm trying to start the new year by eating healthier. My strategy is progress, not perfection, and while counting calories is important, I'm also trying to make ingredient switches that make a healthy difference. Take flour, for example. White flour has all kinds of problems. It's so highly processed, virtually all of the nutrients have been removed, so the government mandated that it be "enriched" with vitamins. Even so, it has nowhere near the nutritional benefits of whole wheat flour. And let's not even talk about chemicals and bleaching. So, whenever it makes sense, I'm using whole wheat flour.

Keep in mind, though, that whole wheat flour doesn't work well in every recipe (especially delicate baked goods, although you can buy whole wheat cake flour for those, which has a lower protein level). Because whole wheat flour contains bran, it makes rising more difficult and the end product denser than with white flour. Generally, you can substitute in one of two ways: many bakers use a combination of whole wheat and white flour to gain the nutritional benefits of whole wheat without losing too much rise. The exact combination varies, but you can generally substitute half the white flour for whole wheat without really affecting the density of the product. Second, you can use all whole wheat flour, but use a little less than the amount of white flour called for, and adjust the wet ingredients up to account for the denser flour.

Additionally, try sifting the whole wheat flour a coupe of times to add more air to it, which will lighten the density somewhat.

Pizza crust is a great match for whole wheat flour. You want your crust to be just slightly sweet, and the heavier texture of whole grain flour adds another layer oomph to a pizza. Here's a recipe I made the other night, and the kids never even noticed that the crust was whole wheat.

Whole Wheat Pizza Crust

1 teaspoon white sugar
1 1/2 cups warm water (110 degrees F)
1 tablespoon active dry yeast
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon kosher salt
2 cups whole wheat flour and 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
OR
3 1/4 cups whole wheat flour

In a large bowl, dissolve sugar in warm water. Sprinkle yeast over the top, and let stand for about 10 minutes, until foamy.

Stir the olive oil and salt into the yeast mixture. If using a mixer with a dough hook, mix in all of the flour and continue mixing until dough forms a ball. If mixing by hand, add all but 1/2 cup of the flour and mix until dough starts to come together. Tip dough out onto a surface floured with the remaining flour and knead until all of the flour has been absorbed and the ball of dough becomes smooth, about 10 minutes. Place dough in an oiled bowl, and turn to coat the surface. Cover loosely with a towel, and let stand in a warm place until doubled in size, about 1 hour.

When the dough is doubled, tip the dough out onto a lightly floured surface, and divide into 2 pieces for 2 thin crust, or leave whole to make one thick crust. Form into a tight ball. Let rise for about 45 minutes, until doubled.

Preheat the oven to 500 degrees F (if using a pizza stone, preheat with oven). Roll a ball of dough with a rolling pin until it will not stretch any further. Then, drape it over both of your fists, and gently pull the edges outward while rotating the crust. When the circle has reached the desired size, place on preheated pizza stone or on a lightly oiled or cornmealed pizza pan and prick in several places with a fork to prevent bubbling. Bake for 4 minutes.

Remove from oven and reduce oven temperature to 425 degrees F. Top crust with your favorite toppings, such as sauce, cheese, meats, or vegetables. Bake 14-16 minutes or until cheese is melted and bubbling.

Chocolate Crinkle Cookies

2009-12-21T10:50:00.000-06:00

I LOVE chocolate, (I know, how odd, right? A woman who loves chocolate.) and these cookies deliver a big, whopping punch o' chocolate, making them one of my favorites. Plus, they're visually beautiful with their snowy, powdered sugar-coated exterior broken by veins of rich chocolate.

When I first decided to make these 8 years ago, I looked at a number of recipes. Frustratingly, each one was slightly different, so I gamely started working my way through them one by one, evaluating each for ease of preparation, presentation (did the top crinkle as promised?) and of course, taste. What I ended up with was a blend of about 4 recipes that I felt made a superior cookie.

One of the challenges of this recipe is the extremely stiff dough. If you don't have a very strong stand mixer, mix by hand. Don't even try to use a hand mixer after the first couple of steps – you'll burn the engine out, I promise. If you have to mix them by hand, be grateful for the arm-toning value! (Which will, of course, be destroyed when you start stuffing your face with the cookies.) Also, make sure you have the time to make these, as the dough needs to be chilled at least an hour before you can start baking the cookies AND because each batch takes 17 minutes to bake.

Chocolate Crinkle Cookies

3 1/2 cups flour
2 1/4 tsp baking powder
1/2 cup vegetable oil
4 oz unsweetened chocolate, melted
2 1/3 cups sugar
1 tsp salt
4 large eggs
1 1/2 tsp vanilla
1 cup chopped walnuts (optional)
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
powdered sugar

In a mixing bowl, combine the flour and baking powder. Set aside.

In a large bowl, mix together the oil and the melted chocolate at medium speed. Add the sugar and salt. Add the eggs one at a time, blending well and scraping the bowl after each one. Mix in the vanilla and chocolate chips. Blend in the flour mixture in large spoonfuls until well blended. Stir in the nuts.

Cover the dough with plastic wrap and refrigerate at least one hour and as long as overnight.

Put powdered sugar in a shallow dish. Wet your hands and shape dough into balls the size of golf balls (2-3 tbl each). Roll balls in powdered sugar, then place 8-10 dough balls on baking sheets lined with parchment paper (do not grease the cookie sheets or the cookies will not bake properly).

Bake at 350º for 17 minutes. Cool on the baking sheet for 2 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool.

Makes 3-4 dozen cookies.

Amazing Chocolate Chip Cookies

2009-12-21T10:02:00.001-06:00

There isn't a cookie in the world that can hold a candle to the popularity of the classic chocolate chip cookie. Just look at the staggering number of recipes and variations of this cookie favorite. Run a Google search on chocolate chip cookie recipes, and you'll get almost 1.7 million results! Now that's popularity!

Many years ago, there was a little cafe called the Harvest Moon Cafe at the corner of Broadway and Loop 410 in San Antonio. Since my office was close by, I ate there a few times. While their food was good, it was their desserts that really stood out. I don't know if it was the owner or a pastry chef, but someone there had a talent for creating the most scrumptious desserts I'd ever seen. Towering meringues, intricate lattice-top pies, 5-layer cakes…and there among all of these visually magnificent desserts one day were chocolate chip cookies. To keep up with their dessert case mates, the cookies were the size of a man's palm, and they looked so yummy and chewy and wonderful, I ordered one. Sure enough, they lived up to their looks. They tasted just like chocolate chip cookies should – slightly crunchy on the outside, soft and melty on the inside. But these had something beyond that. Their texture was slightly different that the usual fare, and there was chocolate literally in every single bite, but it wasn't necessarily a chocolate chip.

I just had to know how these had been made! I asked, and the owners were kind enough to share their recipe with me. The little cafe closed down years ago, but their chocolate chip cookie recipe lives on. As it turns out, there are two secrets to this recipe that I've never found in any others. (Although to be totally honest, I haven't looked that hard!) The addition of blended oatmeal as part of the flour mixture adds a unique texture, and a grated chocolate bar is responsible for that lovely chocolately taste in every bite.

Be warned, though: this recipe makes A LOT of cookies. Since the cookies I made this weekend were going into gift tins and I wanted them to be small, I used a melon baller to measure out the cookies (which, BTW, makes them fast and easy to produce vs. rolling them by hand). A single recipe made over 13 dozen this way, although it usually makes about 9 dozen. In case that's more than you need, the recipe halves very well. One other tip: grating a Hershey bar by hand is a tedious and possibly injurious enterprise. I found it much easier to use my food processor and the grating blade.

Amazing Chocolate Chip Cookies

2 cups butter
2 cups sugar
2 cups brown sugar
4 large eggs
4 cups flour
5 cups blended oatmeal (old-fashioned oats)
1 tsp salt
2 tsp baking powder
2 tsp baking soda
2 tsp vanilla
24 oz semi-sweet chocolate chips
8 oz Hershey milk chocolate bar, grated
3 cups chopped nuts (your choice)

For blended oatmeal, put oatmeal in blender and process until it becomes a fine powder. Measure oatmeal before blending.

In large bowl, mix flour, blended oatmeal, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.

In separate large bowl, cream butter and sugars. Add eggs one at a time, incorporating each before adding the next. Add vanilla. Add flour mixture in large spoonfuls and blend well. Add chocolate chips, grated Hershey bar and nuts. Stir well.

Roll dough into balls (your choice on size), and place on cookie sheet lined with parchment paper.

Bake at 375º for 10 minutes.

Yields: 9 dozen

Comments are working!

2009-12-17T14:44:00.002-06:00

For those of you who may have tried to leave comments on my blog and found nothing but frustration, the problem has been fixed. Thanks to my friends at The Web Head Group for their assistance in solving the problem!

Honey Bars

2009-12-15T19:20:00.000-06:00

It's time for the annual quandary of how to give everyone in the office/poker group/bunco group etc. a Christmas present without taking out a second mortgage or offending them with store-bought crapola that says "Convenience is more important to me than you are." This year, I've decided to undertake a long-standing holiday tradition of baking mounds o' cookies and goodies since we have 50+ non-family members we want to give a little something to. I have to bake all of this this coming weekend, so I'm using the weeknights to test out some possible contenders for the goody boxes I'll be distributing next week. Let the baking frenzy begin! My first contestant is Honey Bars, a recipe I cajoled out of a caterer I used for corporate events in the early 1990's, but then never made. As it turns out, it's a fantastically easy recipe to make – the entire process took less than an hour, and depending on how you cut them, you can get 3 or 4 dozen bars out of a single recipe. The only difficulty I encountered was the baking time. The handwritten recipe had a scribbled note that said "Do not overbake." Since I know my oven runs a little hot, I cut 5 minutes off the baking time, but unfortunately, the bars still came out dry and a little hard. The kids aren't complaining, but then again, kids are pretty easy to please. I'll shave more time off when I make them for the gift boxes.

Honey Bars

3/4 cup oil
1/4 cup honey
1 cup sugar
1 egg
2 cups flour
1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp baking soda
1 cup chopped pecans

Glaze:
1 cup powdered sugar
2 tbl mayonnaise
1 tbl water
1 tsp vanilla

Preheat oven to 350º. In large bowl, mix oil, honey and sugar. Add egg and spices. Mix well. Add flour and pecans. Stir until well blended. Press stiff dough onto 10" x 15" greased baking sheet.

Bake for a maximum of 20 minutes. Do not overbake. (NOTE: I reduced the baking time to 15 minutes, but the bars were overbaked. My recommendation is to check the bars at 10 minutes, then every couple of minutes after that.) Glaze while warm, then cut into squares when cool.

Texas Stir Fry

2009-12-09T18:14:00.001-06:00

Everybody loves a good stir fry, and here's one that combines the best of a traditional stir fry – a delicious blend of meat and veggies, ease of preparation – with the spicy flavors of Tex-Mex cooking for a unique twist on a familiar dish. I found the recipe years ago on the back of the box of Texmati® Rice, and it's so good, it has become a staple dish around our house. The only modification I've made to the recipe was actually suggested by my friend, Cris, who substituted the original recipe's call for chili powder with fajita seasoning. In my opinion, that change made a really good recipe perfect. Texas Stir Fry is especially great for those nights when you need a quick-fix dinner. The whole thing can be put together in around 30 minutes.

One hint for preparation that I learned from a local Asian chef: thaw the pork tenderloin only partially, then slice at an angle in thin strips. The still slightly-frozen meat is a snap to slice quickly.

Texas Stir Fry
(from Texmati Rice)

1 - 2 tbl oil
1 pork tenderloin, trimmed and thinly sliced into 1/2 inch strips
1 - 1 1/2 tbl fajita seasoning (salt-free variety) or chili powder
1 bunch green onions, cut into 1 inch pieces
1 clove garlic, minced
1 can (16 oz) black beans, drained and rinsed
1 cup chopped cilantro
1 pint cherry tomatoes, sliced in half
1 cup whole kernel corn (drain first if using canned corn)
1 tbl lime juice
1/4 tsp salt (sea salt or kosher salt recommended)
3 cups cooked rice

Heat oil in large skillet or wok. Stir-fry pork with fajita seasoning or chili powder until lightly browned. Remove with slotted spoon and set aside. Add onions and garlic to drippings and stir-fry for 30 seconds. Add remaining ingredients except rice; stir-fry 2-3 minutes. Stir in pork; heat through. Serve over hot rice.

Serves 4-6

Spicy Turkey Sausage and Pasta

2009-12-07T21:02:00.000-06:00

During the holidays, I think we're all guilty of indulging a bit more than we should. It's hard not to when you're going to holiday parties non-stop. So, to counteract all of those holiday food and booze calories, I thought I'd offer you a healthy meal that's amazingly full of flavor and creamy goodness. I found this recipe recently in Healthy Cooking magazine and made a few changes to it to suit my way of doing things. My entire family rated it five out of five stars for taste, and I gave it five out of five for both taste and ease of preparation – something else we can all use at this very busy time of year.

Spicy Turkey Sausage and Pasta

1 cup uncooked pasta (penne or rotini)
1 cup frozen broccoli
1 medium tomato, chopped
1 lb smoked turkey sausage, cut into 1/4" slices
2 tbl all-purpose flour
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp ground mustard
1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
1 1/4 cups evaporated milk
1/3 cup shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese

In a large saucepan, cook pasta according to package directions. In a separate pan, cook broccoli until tender; drain well. In a large non-stick skillet coated with cooking spray, brown sausage; remove from skillet and keep warm. In a small bowl, combine the flour, garlic powder, mustard and pepper flakes; gradually whisk in milk until smooth. Add milk mixture to skillet, stirring to loosen browned bits from pan. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 1-2 minutes or until thickened. Drain pasta and stir into milk mixture in skillet. Add tomato, broccoli, cheese and reserved sausage. Cook and stir until cheese is melted.

Variations:
1. use fat-free milk instead of evaporated milk
2. substitute frozen mixed vegetables for the broccoli and tomato

Serves: 4
Prep Time: 10 min
Cook Time: 25 min
Total Time: 35 min

Spanish Rice

2009-12-03T14:18:00.000-06:00

Spanish Rice is one of the most ubiquitous side dishes in Tex-Mex cooking. It pairs up nicely with just about anything, from enchiladas to tacos to carne guisada. Being a carb-aholic, I love me some good Spanish Rice! It's an easy dish to make right, but it's equally easy to murder. One of my most hated versions of the dish is found at Mexican restaurants who attempt to make the rice go further and increase profits by adding dreaded "mixed vegetables" to the rice. Sorry, but IMHO, peas and carrots have no place in Spanish Rice. Corn, which some also use, is pushing it for me. And don't even get me started on the gummy, gluey rice I sometimes encounter. On my planet, Spanish Rice is made simply and purely with spices and fresh onions and tomatoes, and it's cooked to be soft without being gummy. The tomatoes are added after the rice is cooked so that they stay firm and fresh.

My favorite long-grain white rice to use – in this and any recipe that calls for white rice – is Texmati®. It's a Basmati rice and has the most amazing nutty flavor and aroma. I haven't found a rice yet that equals it in those areas. It's one of the keys to the success of my Spanish Rice recipe, I think, but the recipe will work just fine with other brands, if you have a preference.

Trust me – after you make this recipe once, you'll never commit the sin of buying Rice-a-Roni Spanish Rice again!

Spanish Rice

1 cup long-grain white rice (Texmati brand recommended)
3 tbl vegetable oil
1 1/4 cups water
1/2 cup tomato sauce
1/2 tsp comino (ground cumin)
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp black pepper
1 tsp salt
1 medium tomato, chopped
1/2 medium onion, chopped

In a large skillet, add oil, then rice. Cook on medium-high heat, stirring frequently, until rice is lightly browned. Add water, tomato sauce, spices and chopped onion. Reduce heat and cover. Cook for 10-12 minutes or until all liquid has been absorbed and rice is soft and fluffy. Remove from heat and stir well. Add tomatoes and serve.

Serves: 4
Serving Size: 1/2 cup
Prep Time: 15 min
Cook Time: 15 min
Total Time: 30 min

Calories: 339.90
Cholesterol: 0 mg
Fat: 11.925 g
Saturated Fat: 0.972 g
Calories From Fat: 28.9
Protein: 5.291 g
Carbohydrates: 52.54 g
Sodium: 649.68 mg
Fiber: 1.959 g
Trans Fat: 0.044 g
Sugars: 2.695 g

Cream of Asparagus Soup

2009-12-03T13:40:00.001-06:00

What is it about asparagus that makes kids hate it? For me, it was lack of familiarity. Since it's a fairly expensive veggie, my mom, who was raising four kids on her own, couldn't afford it very often. For others, perhaps it's the unusual taste, or its odd appearance. For a friend of mine, it was the preparation. Her mom used to boil the life out of the asparagus until it was mushy and tasteless. Who wouldn't hate that? Another friend of mine expressed surprise that you could buy it fresh – her parents always bought the canned variety (ick!). Whatever the reason, asparagus has always gotten a bad rap among vegetables. That's too bad, because when it's done right, asparagus can be a delightful, flavorful addition to a meal. A versatile veggie, it can be sautéed, grilled, broiled, fried, boiled...the list goes on.

One of my family's most favorite iterations of asparagus is homemade Cream of Asparagus Soup. There must be some paragraph on asparagus avoidance in the Children's Manual, because like most kids, mine generally won't touch it. Put a hot, fresh bowl of this creamy soup in front of them, though, and they'll gulp it down and fight for seconds. The good news is that this is a simple soup to make. The traditional recipe calls for half and half to make it creamy, but it also makes it heavy on the calories and fat. It's easy to lighten up, though, by subbing lowfat milk for the cream. You'll lose a little of the consistency, but none of the taste. To spice it up a little, try adding 1/4 teaspoon of cayenne pepper.

Cream of Asparagus Soup

1 lb. fresh asparagus
1 1/2 cups chicken stock or canned broth
2 tablespoons chopped onion
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons flour
1 cup half-n-half or milk
Salt to taste
Freshly ground pepper

Prepare fresh asparagus by cutting off coarse or tough ends. Soak in cold water for a few minutes to wash. If asparagus is still sandy, repeat washing. Drain, then cut off tips and reserve. Cut stalks into small pieces and cook in 2 cups boiling water until tender. Drain, reserving 1 cup of water. Cook tips in separate pan with small amount of water until just tender and reserve. Combine chicken stock, onion and reserved water in main pot and bring to boil. Add asparagus stems and simmer 5 minutes. Carefully put pot contents in blender and puree. Strain puree through fine mesh sieve and discard any solid material that stays in sieve. In same pot, melt butter and whisk in flour until smooth. Slowly add milk or cream, stirring or whisking until it thickens. Add strained asparagus puree. Stir until well blended. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Add reserve tips OR use tips as garnish in individual bowls.

Serves: 4

Mom's King Ranch Chicken

2009-11-30T10:54:00.000-06:00

I have to admit that I'm a big fan of casseroles. First, I have 4 teenagers who eat a ton, and casseroles are quick, create less mess in the kitchen, and feed an army. Second, I love my food all mixed up, and casseroles are efficient in that the mixing's already done.

One of my favorite casseroles is King Ranch Chicken, a dish my mom made frequently when I was growing up. KRC is a Texas favorite, a creamy, spicy blend of chicken, tortillas, sauces and cheese that's sort of like an enchilada casserole. I find it ironic that the King Ranch, for which the dish is named, is a world-famous cattle ranch and doesn't even raise chickens. In a fit of curiosity, or perhaps extreme boredom, I tried to look up the history of this dish. What I found is that nobody really knows where it came from, and the King Ranch says it had nothing to do with the development. However it came to be, I'm glad it did. I've been making this yummy dish for my kids since they were toddlers, and it's a family favorite that I hope they'll pass along to their children.

The recipe that follows is a simple adaptation and uses only 7 ingredients. There are other "fancier" versions out there, but I'll proudly hold my mom's version up to those any day on outstanding taste, simplicity and ease of preparation.

BTW, we recently ate dinner at a local home-cooking restaurant, and my husband had their version of King Ranch Chicken. Apparently, I've spoiled him because he only ate a little, saying it was nowhere near as good as mine. You gotta love that!

Mom's King Ranch Chicken

2 lbs. chicken
1/2 medium onion, chopped
1 1/2 cups grated cheddar or jack cheese, divided
12 corn tortillas
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 can Ro-Tel tomatoes and green chilies

Cook chicken by boiling or pan broiling with onion, or use store bought rotisserie chicken (deboned). After chicken is cooked, let cool slightly, then shred. (Hint: Use two forks to quickly and easily shred the chicken) Set aside.

Heat oil in a small skillet until shimmering. Dip each tortilla into oil for 2-3 seconds. Drain on paper towels, then cut into bite-size pieces. In sauce pan over medium heat, mix together soups, tomatoes and green chiles, and half the cheese. Cook, stirring constantly, until cheese is melted and mixture is smooth. In large casserole dish coated with non-stick cooking spray, layer chicken and tortillas. Pour soup mixture over casserole, then top with remaining cheese.

Cook in 375º oven for 30 minutes or until bubbling. If cheese starts getting too done, cover with foil for last few minutes.

Serves: 6-8
Prep Time: 30 min
Cook Time: 30 min
Total Time: 1 hr

Calories: 619.88
Cholesterol: 181.9 mg
Fat: 28.204 g
Saturated Fat: 14.831 g
Calories From Fat: 51.3
Protein: 62.501 g
Carbohydrates: 27.36 g
Sodium: 940.90 mg
Fiber: 3.785 g
Trans Fat: 0 g
Sugars: 1.315 g

What are you thankful for?

2009-11-25T09:49:00.002-06:00

I hope that, like me, you're fortunate enough to be celebrating this holiday sharing wonderful food and fellowship with the ones you love. We've all heard a lot of bad news this year, but there's still much to be thankful for. My mom passed away a few days before my birthday in May, and as painful as that was, I'm thankful that I had her as long as I did. I'm also thankful for my wonderful kids – all four of them – and my handsome, smart, loving husband. I still have a my own business, friends, extended family, a beautiful home…the list goes on. It's too bad, I think, that we only stop once a year to remember all the things we're thankful for, so I'm going to make a Thanksgiving Resolution to give thanks throughout the year. Will you join me? If everyone did that, wouldn't the world be a better, happier place?

We're having everyone over to our house again this year for Thanksgiving dinner, and I've planned a traditional meal with a few twists on classic dishes, just to make things a little more interesting. Here's our menu:

Apple-Cranberry Relish
Buttermilk Yeast Biscuits
Roast Turkey with Smoked Paprika and Herbs
Herbed Turkey Gravy
Sour Cream and Onion Mashed Potatoes
Broccoli Gruyére Gratin
Grandmother's Cornbread Dressing
Bourbon and Orange Pecan Pie
Turtle Pumpkin Pie
Roxanne's Famous Cheese Pie

On man, I'm hungry just typing this list out! For the first time ever, I'm going to try brining my turkey before I roast it, which should ensure the moistest, most flavorful meat ever. Many of these are new recipes I'll be trying for the first time, and depending on how everything turns out, I'll post recipes after the holidays.

Here's wishing you and your family a beautiful Thanksgiving!

Ciabatta Bread

2009-11-23T14:17:00.000-06:00

Whenever we go to Macaroni Grill and the like, my favorite part of the meal is usually the ciabatta bread that they serve as a free appetizer. I've been wanting to make my own ciabatta bread forever, but for whatever reason, I just never got around to it until last night. It was better than any bread I've ever been served in a restaurant or bought at a store! Best of all, it was a very easy recipe to make, and the loaves turned out beautiful – golden brown and delicious, just like I expected. Even though ciabatta bread is usually associated with Italian food, it would be a perfect accompaniment to virtually any meal or for sandwiches.

If you decide to make your own ciabatta bread, make sure you plan well in advance as it takes almost 20 hours of prep and baking time. That's mostly because of the need to use a sponge (or starter) and because of the (up to) 4 hours of rise time. Don't know what a bread sponge is? It's a mixture of water, yeast and bread flour that's allowed to ferment for up to 72 hours (only up to 24 in the case of this recipe). Sponges give artisanal breads a rich, yeasty flavor you can't get by adding the yeast only at the time you prepare the dough. Want to know more? Here's a great article that has a full description: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bread_starter

Ciabatta Bread

For sponge:
1/8 tsp active dry yeast
2 tbl warm water (105º - 115º F)
1/3 cup water, room temperature
1 cup bread flour

For bread:
1/2 tsp active dry yeast
2 tbl warm milk (105º - 115º F)
2/3 cup water, room temperature
1 tbl olive oil (plus additional to brush on bread after baking)
2 cups bread flour
1 1/2 tsp salt
3 tsp dried rosemary (plus additional to sprinkle on bread after baking)
Kosher salt

To make sponge:
Stir together, warm water and yeast. Let stand 5 minutes, until creamy. Transfer yeast mixture to another bowl and add room-temp water and flour. Stir for 4 minutes. Cover bowl with plastic wrap. Let stand at cool room temp at least 12 hours and up to 1 day.

To make Ciabatta Bread:
Mix yeast and milk in small bowl and let stand 5 minutes, until creamy. In bowl of standing electric mixer, with dough hook, blend together milk mixture, sponge, water, oil and flour at low speed until flour is moistened. Beat on medium for 3 minutes. Add salt and rosemary and beat for 4 more minutes. Scrape dough into oiled bowl and cover with plastic wrap, until doubled- about 1 1/2 hours.

After first rise period, cut two pieces of parchment paper, approx 12 inches by 6 inches. Place on baking sheet and flour well. Turn dough out onto a well-floured surface and cut in half. Note: Dough will be VERY sticky and full of bubbles. Transfer each half to paper and form irregular ovals approx 9 inches long. Dip fingers in flour and dimple loaves. Dust tops with flour. Cover with dampened kitchen towel and let rise 1 1/2 to 2 hours, until almost doubled.

At least 45 minutes before baking bread, pre-heat pizza stone on lowest oven rack position at 425°F. Transfer 1 loaf, along with parchment paper, onto stone and bake for 20 minutes or until pale golden. Remove to cooling racks and repeat with second loaf. When loaves come out of the oven, brush tops with olive oil, then sprinkle with rosemary and kosher salt.

Serves: 10
Serving Size: 1 slice
Yields: 2 loaves
Prep Time: 18 hr 15 min
Cook Time: 40 min
Total Time: 18 hr 55 min

Calories: 275.54
Cholesterol: 0.12 mg
Fat: 2.7447 g
Saturated Fat: 0.4065 g
Calories From Fat: 23.1
Protein: 8.8632 g
Carbohydrates: 52.506 g
Sodium: 294.04 mg
Fiber: 1.7936 g
Trans Fat: 0 g
Sugars: 0.2232 g

Chicken Piccata

2009-11-22T23:17:00.003-06:00

If you've never had it before, Chicken Piccata is a wonderful Italian dish that's rich, flavorful and completely unhealthy. But it's so worth eating, you have to ignore the more-than-you-should-be-eating grams of fat and just marvel in its deliciousness. I'm sure there's a way to make it healthier, and perhaps someday I'll try it, but for now, I'm willing to splurge a little from time to time to enjoy its fully leaded form. You can serve this with a side of butter garlic pasta, or, as I did tonight, with broccolini sauteéd in garlic and olive oil and dusted with parmesan, plus a crusty loaf of fresh-baked ciabatta bread. Mmm, mmm!

Chicken Piccata

4 chicken breasts
1 cup panko bread crumbs
2-4 tbl olive oil
1/2 cup white wine
2 tsp garlic, minced
1 cup chicken broth (low sodium is best)
4 tbl lemon juice, freshly squeezed
2 tbl capers, drained
4 tbl unsalted butter
1/2 cup artichoke hearts, chopped
1 1/2 tbl flour

Place chicken breasts between two pieces of wax paper and lightly pound with a mallet until 1/2" thick. Season with salt and pepper. Put bread crumbs in a shallow baking dish and dredge each chicken breast until well-coated. Add olive oil to a sauté pan and heat on medium-high. Sauté chicken, uncovered, 3-4 minutes, then flip and sauté on other side 3-4 minutes more with pan covered, adding more olive oil if necessary. Transfer chicken to serving dish and set aside, keeping warm. Pour off fat from pan. Deglaze pan with wine and add minced garlic. Cook 2 minutes until garlic is slightly brown and liquid is mostly gone. Add broth, lemon juice, artichoke hearts, butter and capers to pan. Cook 2 minutes. In small bowl, add small amount of water to flour to make a paste. Add to sauce to thicken, stirring constantly to dissolve any lumps.

Put chicken on individual plates, then pour equal amount of sauce over each. Serve immediately.

Serves: 4
Serving Size: 1 breast
Yields: 4
Prep Time: 20 min
Cook Time: 15 min
Total Time: 35 min

Calories: 446.06
Cholesterol: 25.06 mg
Fat: 15.516 g
Saturated Fat: 4.482 g
Calories From Fat: 35.7
Protein: 17.256 g
Carbohydrates: 54.256 g
Sodium: 947.61 mg
Fiber: 5.785 g
Trans Fat: 0.007 g
Sugars: 4.538 g

Cornbread

2009-11-22T18:19:00.002-06:00

I'm a southern girl, and as such, I was raised on cornbread. My mom always made my grandmother's buttermilk cornbread recipe, which has very little sugar and is a more traditional southern cornbread. I'll be posting that recipe soon since I have to make a couple of batches of it to make the dressing for our Thanksgiving dinner. This recipe, however, is my favorite. I adapted it from an old edition of the Better Homes and Gardens Cookbook, a cookbook my family has used since the 1920's (we get new editions as they come out, but we still have my grandmother's 1920-something edition). It's cakier and sweeter, which I prefer. Pair it with just about any meal, but I usually make it as a complement to Poor Man's Chili.

Cornbread

1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup yellow cornmeal
3/4 cup sugar (substitute Splenda for a sugar-free version)
4 tsp. baking powder
3/4 tsp. salt
2 eggs, beaten
1 cup milk
1/4 cup cooking oil

Spray a square or rectangular baking dish with non-stick cooking spray. Preheat oven to 425º. Mix dry ingredients in large bowl, leaving well in center. In medium bowl, beat eggs, then add milk and oil. Add all at once to dry ingredients, stirring just until moistened. Pour into prepared baking dish. Bake 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.

Serves: 8-9

Poor Man's Chili

2009-11-22T18:04:00.005-06:00

Chili is sacred to Texans, and we can get more than a little snooty about what we consider to be imitation chili. Many Texans actually have rules about what constitutes "real" chili. To them, anything that doesn't follow the rules isn't worth the pot is was cooked in. My Poor Man's Chili breaks two sacred rules of chili makin' – first, it uses ground beef instead of chili meat and second, it has beans. Yes, beans. Many chili connoisseurs turn up their noses at chili that contains beans, but I think the beans add a hearty element, and for people watching their pennies or with a lot of mouths to feed, the beans – and the ground beef – help the chili go further and make this a budget-friendly meal. My cornbread recipe makes the perfect side dish.

Oh, by the way, feel free to add cheese and Frito's and make it a chili pie!

Poor Man's Chili

1 lb. ground beef
1 1/2tbl. flour
4 tbl. chili powder
1 1/2 cups water
8 oz. tomato sauce
15 oz. can Ranch Style Beans

In medium size pot on medium-high heat, brown ground beef. Drain off excess fat, then add flour and chili powder. Stir until well mixed. Add water, tomato sauce, Ranch Style Beans and salt to taste. Mix well, then reduce heat to low and simmer 30 minutes.

Serves: 4-6
Prep Time: 5 min
Cook Time: 40 min
Total Time: 45 min

Sour Cream & Onion Mashed Potatoes

2009-11-21T13:18:00.003-06:00

Is there any better comfort food than mashed potatoes? The answer, in case you didn't already know it, is no. And when they're done right, there's also almost no better food, the way I see it. Because potatoes are one of my favorite vegetables, and because my oldest daughter shares my passion for them, mashed potatoes make a regular appearance at our meals. Although I love them, it's always nice to change things up a bit and try new flavor combinations. These creamy potatoes get a tangy lift from luscious sour cream and green onions, which also give them a nice appearance. They're a perfect side dish to almost any meal!

Sour Cream and Onion Mashed Potatoes

6 medium red potatoes
1 tsp. salt
8 oz sour cream (use light version if desired)
1/4 cup evaporated milk
4-5 green onions
3 tsp garlic salt
4 tbl. butter
Salt to taste

Fill a large pot about halfway full with water, add a teaspoon of salt and bring to a boil. Cut potatoes into roughly 1" cubes (your choice if you peel them or not; if not, wash and scrub thoroughly before cubing). Add to boiling water. Water should just cover potatoes – if it's too high, drain slightly. Boil potatoes for 10 minutes or until tender (use a fork to test). Drain thoroughly. Add butter and garlic salt and cover until butter melts. Meanwhile, chop green onions into small pieces, including all of green stems. Add to potatoes, along with sour cream and evaporated milk. With mixer on "off", smash potatoes with beaters, then turn mixer to high and mix until potatoes are creamy and lumps are gone. Add additional salt to taste or evaporated milk if potatoes are too stiff.

Serves: 6
Serving Size: 1 cup
Prep Time: 15 min
Cook Time: 15 min
Total Time: 30 min

Calories: 295.90
Cholesterol: 37.63 mg
Fat: 13.199 g
Saturated Fat: 8.1678 g
Calories From Fat: 20.8
Protein: 6.6787 g
Carbohydrates: 39.830 g
Sodium: 108.78 mg
Fiber: 4.1485 g
Trans Fat: 0 g
Sugars: 2.9947 g

Baby Pecan Pies

2009-11-19T14:01:00.008-06:00

When I was a little girl, we had what I thought was a huge pecan tree in our backyard. My sisters and I would spend hours (to my mother's delight, I'm sure) picking up buckets and wagons full of pecans, then spend equally long shelling them ever so carefully since we always had a contest to see who could keep the most halves unbroken. Years ago, I visited the house I grew up in only to discover that the "huge" pecan tree, along with the backyard, wasn't quite so big anymore. Perspectives change, but one thing hasn't: thanks to that pecan tree, I've had a lifelong love affair with these wonderful nuts. So, just in time for Thanksgiving, here's a quick and easy twist on the usual holiday pie. These babies also make great finger food for parties or treats for small hands if you've volunteered to take something up to your kids' classroom parties.

Baby Pecan Pies

1/2 cup butter, softened
1 cup flour
3 oz. cream cheese
1 cup brown sugar
1 egg
1/2 cup pecans, chopped

Preheat oven to 350º. Mix together butter, flour and cream cheese. Roll into balls and press into mini-muffin tin using thumb to create a cup. (Hint: don't press down too hard or the bottom "crust" will be too thin

In another bowl, mix together brown sugar, egg and pecans. Fill each pastry cup 3/4 full of pecan mixture. Bake for 25-30 minutes. Sprinkle with powdered sugar if desired. Makes 24.

Calories: 160.15
Cholesterol: 23.46 mg
Fat: 9.196 g
Saturated Fat: 3.736 g
Calories From Fat: 10.1
Protein: 2.077 g
Carbohydrates: 18.246 g
Sodium: 45.21 mg
Fiber: 0.75 g
Trans Fat: 0 g
Sugars: 9.954 g

Tracy's Tastebuds

French Market Apple Pie

Related Stories

Soft Pretzels

Related Stories

Chicken Divan

Related Stories

Mom's Southwest Stacked Enchiladas

Related Stories

Delectable Italian Meatballs

Related Stories

Stuffed Pork Tenderloin

Related Stories

Quick Green Chicken Enchiladas

Related Stories

Margherita Pizza

Related Stories

Whole Wheat Pizza Crust

Related Stories

Chocolate Crinkle Cookies

Related Stories

Amazing Chocolate Chip Cookies

Comments are working!

Honey Bars

Texas Stir Fry

Spicy Turkey Sausage and Pasta

Spanish Rice

Cream of Asparagus Soup

Mom's King Ranch Chicken

What are you thankful for?

Ciabatta Bread

Chicken Piccata

Cornbread

Poor Man's Chili

Sour Cream & Onion Mashed Potatoes

Baby Pecan Pies