Cheesy Broccoli Soup

Simple, yet satisfying.

•1 Pound fresh broccoli, cleaned and cut into small florets
•½ Cup butter or margarine
•1 Small onion, finely chopped
•½ Cup all-purpose flour
•2 Cups chicken broth
•2 Cups milk
•6 Ounces velveeta, cut into small cubes
•Salt & Pepper to taste
•Pinch of cayenne pepper (optional)

Steam your broccoli for about 4-5 minutes, until it's all bright green and still crispy. Immediately remove the broccoli from heat and shock in ice cold water while you prepare the rest of the soup. In the meantime, over medium high heat, saute your onion in the stick of butter. Cook the onions until are translucent, then mix in the flour. Reduce the heat to medium and continuously stir the mixture for about 3minutes. Pour in your broth, and whisk until it smooth and creamy, then whisk in the milk. Bring this to a boil and stir in the velveeta until there are no lumps of cheese. Add salt and peppers. Stir in the drained broccoli and continue heating the soup until thick and bubbly. Serve immediately or this can very easily be reheated.

Creamiest Beef Stroganoff

Definitely worth the little bit of effort.


Total Time: 1 Hour

•½ Cup wine (white or red)
•4 Tbsp. butter
•½ Medium onion, diced
•2 Large cloves of garlic, diced
•1 Pound thinly shaved beef
•¼ Cup all-purpose flour
•2 Cups dark beef stock
•4 Ounces cream cheese
•1 Cup sour cream
•1 Tsp. yellow mustard
•8 Ounces extra wide egg noodles
•1 Tbsp. butter
•½ Pound freshly sliced mushrooms
•3 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
•Salt & Pepper to taste

Marinate the beef in the wine until your ready to prepare the dish, and for at least an hour. In a large frying pan over high heat, combine the butter, onion, and garlic. Cook until the onions are translucent. Add your beef (not the wine) and a pinch of salt and pepper, and cook thoroughly, until most of liquid is gone from the pan. Reduce the heat to medium. Sprinkle over the flour, and stir for about 2 minutes. Add the stock and stir until smooth. Stir in the cream cheese, sour cream, and mustard. Reduce the heat to low and let this continue cooking while you prepare the noodles according to the package directions. When the noodles are ready, add them and about ¼ cup of the cooking water to the meat and sauce mixture. Again, let this cook while you prepare the mushrooms. Saute the mushrooms in 1 Tbsp. of butter and the Worcestershire sauce, only for about 2 minutes, then add to the stroganoff. Stir the mixture until there are no lumps, and the sauce is smooth and creamy. Top with some fresh parsley if you have it available.

Parmesan Baked Herb Fries

Can fries be considered healthy?


Prep Time: 10 Minutes
Total Time: 50 Minutes

•4 Medium-large idaho potatoes, cut into thick fries
•2 Tbsp. vegetable or olive oil
•1 Tsp. italian herb seasoning
•½ Tsp. onion powder
•½ Tsp. garlic powder
•Pinch of kosher salt or freshly ground sea salt
•Pinch of freshly ground black pepper
•2 Tbsp. freshly grated parmesan cheese (must be finely grated right before preparing)

Combine the oil, seasonings, and cheese in a bowl, then toss with the fries. Mix them around with your hands or a big spoon, and make sure that every fry is coated. Lay the fries out in an even layer on a baking sheet lined with foil and a cooling rack. Bake at 425° for about 40 minutes, or until they are all golden brown. I like to sprinkle over a little more parmesan right after they come out of the oven, and serve.

Chocolate Coconut Squares

An easy, homebaked snack!

Prep Time: 10 Minutes
Total Time: 40 Minutes

•1 Cup finely crushed graham crackers
•½ Cup melted butter
•1 Cup milk chocolate chips
•1 Cup white chocolate chips
•1 Cup sweetened coconut flakes
•1 14 ounce can sweetened condensed milk

In a small bowl combine the the graham crackers and butter, and mix well. Press this mixture into a 9" square pan. Sprinkle over the 2 cups of chips, then pour the milk over the top. Top with the coconut, and bake at 350° for about 30 minutes. Keep an eye on it towards the end, to watch for over browning. You can tell it's done when the edges are dark golden brown. Cool completely before cutting and serving. I think these are best after being refrigerated for at least a few hours.

Plum Tart Cobbler

Simple ingredients, extraordinary results!



Prep Time: 20 Minutes
Total Time: 1 Hour

Crust:
•2 Cups all-purpose flour
•½ Cup granulated sugar
•12 Tbsp. butter, cut into small cubes

Filling:
•2 Pounds thinly sliced plums
•2 Tbsp. granulated sugar
•2 Tbsp. all-purpose flour

Topping:
•5 Tbsp. butter, cut into small cubes
•¼ Cup granulated sugar
•¼ Cup all-purpose flour

Combine the crust's ingredients with a pastry cutter, your fingers, or a food processor. The mixture should resemble moist sand. Press the mixture into a 9" round cake pan, and bake at 325° for 20 minutes. In the meantime prepare your filling and topping. For the filling gently stir together the ingredients and set aside until ready to use. Combine the ingredients for the topping with a pastry cutter, your fingers, or a food processor, until it resembles moist sand. After the crust has baked for 20 minutes, spread over the plum mixture, and cover with the topping. Bake for an additional 25 minutes at 325°, then broil for 3-5 minutes. Make sure to keep a close on it under the broiler. Cool at least 10 minutes before serving.

Meatloaf #2

All-occasion dinner.

Prep Time: 10 Minutes
Total Time: 1 Hour 10 Minutes

•2 Pounds lean ground beef
•1 Tbsp. yellow mustard
•1 Tsp. onion powder (I don't like chunks in my meatloaf, but feel free to use ½ of a diced, sauteed onion if you prefer)
•½ Cup spicy bbq sauce
•2 Tsp. kosher salt
•2 Tsp. liquid smoke
•20 Finely crushed saltine or ritz crackers
•1 Large egg
•2 Tbsp. milk

Combine everything except ¼ cup of bbq sauce. Mix really well, and bake in a loaf pan at 375°, for about 45 minutes. Remove from oven and spread the remaining bbq sauce to cover the loaf. Reduce the heat to 325°, and bake 15 more minutes.

Chili & Brown Sugar Shredded Pork

Spicy sweet!

•2-3 Pound pork roast
•1/4 Cup packed brown sugar
•1 Tbsp. chile powder
•1 Tbsp. garlic powder
•1 Tbsp. ground cumin
•1 Tbsp. kosher salt
•1 Tbsp. Smoked paprika
•1 Tsp. onion powder
•½ Tsp. cayenne pepper


Mix together all of your dry ingredients and rub it into the roast, covering the entire thing. You may have to go over it a couple times to get all of the rub on there. Roast the meat in a ceramic dish, covered with foil and a lid, for 1 hour at 400°. Reduce the temperature to 300° and continue cooking for about 3 hours. Remove it from the oven and shred with two forks. This makes really great sandwiches or serve with potatoes and a green veggie...or be like me and just eat it plain.

Mixed Nut Trail Mix

My favorite trail mix variety...healthy and tasty!

•2 Scoops dried cranberries
•2 Scoops reese's pieces or chocolate pieces
•3 Scoops dried banana chips
•3 Scoops dried coconut (sweetened or unsweetened)
•3 Scoops dried sweetened pineapple
•4 Scoops shelled and salted pistachios
•3 Scoops salted sunflower seeds
•3 Scoops dried and unsalted pumpkin seed kernels (without the white shell)

I use a ¼ cup scoop, and just dump everything into a ziploc bag. I give everything a good shake to mix, and dig in. It's really great as is...no seasoning, no baking.

So Easy Baked Chicken Flautas

Crispy, rolled chicken tacos...like giant taquitos.


Yield: 5 Flautas
Prep Time: 15 Minutes

•3 Boneless, skinless chicken breasts
•1 Packet taco seasoning
•½ Cup water
•5 Flour tortillas
•2 Tbsp. margarine

In your crockpot, combine the chicken, seasoning, and water. Cook on high for about 3 hours, then reduce the heat to low and continue cooking for another 2-4 hours. Shred up the chicken, and chill until your ready to prepare flautas. (I actually prepare the chicken the day before.) Spread a thin layer of margarine on one side of each tortilla. Divide the chicken evenly onto to each of the 5 tortillas (butter side down), and roll them up tightly. If you can, place a rack on your baking sheet to bake the flautas on. If you don't have a rack just place them on a foil lined baking sheet. Bake them at 400° for 20 minutes. I like to serve them with salsa and sour cream.

Chocolate Cake with Chocolate Frosting

Chocolate cake. What else can I say?


Prep Time: 20 Minutes
Total Time: 50 Minutes

Cake:
•1 3/4 Cup all-purpose flour
•3/4 Cup unsweetened cocoa powder
•1 Cup packed brown sugar
•1 Cup granulated sugar
•1 Tsp. kosher salt
•1½ Tsp. baking powder
•1½ Tsp. baking soda
•2 large eggs
•1 Cup milk
•2 Tsp. vanilla extract
•¼ vegetable oil
•1 mashed banana (make sure it's really mashed, not chunky)
•1 Cup boiling water

Frosting:
•1/4 Cup softened margarine
•1/4 Cup milk
•1 Tsp. vanilla extract
•3-3½ Cups powdered sugar

For the cake, combine all the dry ingredients in your mixing bowl. Add in the eggs, milk, vanilla, oil, and banana, andmix until smooth (about 3-4 minutes). Stir in boiling water by hand, and pour batter into two prepared pans. I like to butter my pans and line the bottoms with parchment, then flour the pans. Bake the cakes at 350° for 25-30 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool 10 minutes before turning out onto cooling racks. Cool completely before frosting.

While the cakes are baking prepare the frosting. Start by mixing the margarine, cocoa powder, and milk. Mix until all of the ingredients are incorporated, but it doesn't need to be totally smooth. Add in the powdered sugar 1 cup at a time (make sure to scrape the sides of your bowl in between), until everything is combined. Finish by whipping up the frosting for at least 5 minutes. Frost onto cooled chocolate cake.

☼You may notice that the cake in the picture is only 1 layer...well I moved and seem to have misplaced my cake sheet pan and my other round pan, so I had to use one square and one round...but I promise it will make 2 layers.

Garlic & Herb Crescent Rolls

For those nights when homemade bread just isn't an option.


Yield: 8 Rolls
Prep Time: 5 Minutes
Total Time: 18 Minutes

•1 Can refrigerated crescent roll dough
•3 Tbsp. melted butter or margarine
•1 Large clove of garlic, freshly grated
•1 Tsp. dried basil
•½ Tsp. dried rosemary
•½ Tsp. dried oregano
•Small pinch of red pepper flakes or crushed red pepper

Combine the butter and herbs, and brush over each triangle of crescent dough. Roll up the crescents, brush tops with remaining butter mixture, and bake at 375° for 10-12 minutes. I like to serve with marinara sauce.

Hawaiian Salty Chicken

My favorite hawaiian main course.


Prep Time: 10 Minutes
Total Time: 5 Hours

•2-4 Large, skinless, boneless chicken breasts
•½ Cup soy sauce
•¼ Cup packed brown sugar
•1 Tbsp. freshly grated garlic
•2 Tsp. freshly grated ginger or 1 tsp. ground ginger

Put the chicken in your crockpot, set on high. Combine the remaining ingredients in a small bowl and pour over the chicken. Cook for 4 hours, stirring twice. Shred the chicken in the crockpot, and continue cooking for about an hour. Serve over rice.

Brown Sugar Cinnamon Rolls

Make the night before for a yummy breakfast treat!


Yield: 12 Rolls
Prep Time: 30 Minutes
Total Time: 2 Hours

Dough:
•3/4 Cup heavy cream (or milk if that's what you have)
•¼ Cup butter or margarine
•3¼ Cups all-purpose flour
•2¼ Tsp. dry active yeast (1 .25oz packet)
•¼ Cup packed brown sugar
•2 Tbsp. granulated sugar
•½ Tsp. kosher salt
•1 Large egg
•¼ Cup warm water

Filling:
•1 Cup packed brown sugar
•½ Cup butter or margarine
•1 Tbsp. ground cinnamon

Icing:
•4oz. Softened cream cheese
•¼ Cup softened butter or margarine
•1 Tsp. vanilla extract
•2 Cups powdered sugar
•Heavy cream or milk (optional)

Heat the milk through, and stir in your butter until melted, set aside. In your large mixer bowl combine the dough's dry ingredients, reserving about 1¼ cups of flour. As soon as the milk is lukewarm (not hot anymore), add the egg and water to the dry ingredients. Add the milk and butter alternately with 1 cup of the reserved flour. Mix until your dough comes together. Turn your dough out onto the counter and knead with the final ¼ cup of flour for 5-7 minutes, until the dough becomes soft and smooth. Let the dough rest for 10-15 minutes. In the meantime, combine the ingredients for the filling by mixing them together in a small bowl. When your dough is ready, roll it into about a 10"x12" rectangle, and spread your filling evenly across the dough. Roll up the dough, and seal off the edge. Cut the dough into 12 slices to make your rolls. Place the rolls in a greased pan, and let rise for 30-60 minutes before baking (sometimes I cheat by putting them into a 150° oven for about 15 minutes, especially when it's cold), or place in the fridge and take out to rise before you're ready to bake. Bake at 400° for about 20-25 minutes. Really keep an eye on the towards the end. I start checking at about 15 minutes just to be safe. If you notice the tops browning faster than you'd like, just lay over a piece of foil. Prepare your cream cheese icing while to rolls are baking, by combining the cream cheese and butter. Add in your vanilla, and slowly mix in the powdered sugar. Add just a touch of cream or milk if you want to thin the icing. Spread over your rolls straight from the oven.