Monday, November 17, 2008

Family Favorite Recipes

I love this time of year! I can't help but associate this time of year with yummy recipes. My grandmother, Meme, is a wonderful cook. A few years ago she made a homemade cookbook for all her grandchildren. It was the best Christmas gift EVER! I use it ALL the time. Even though my dishes never seem to taste as good as hers, I love trying. She's a master cook. I'm an amateur. Maybe by the time I'm in my 70's I will have mastered some of her recipes!

Here are a couple of my favorites that go well with the season. I will spare you the difficult ones that are truly homemade. Meme actually makes her own pasta, and I've seen the process....just believe me....you don't want that recipe. These are quick, easy and delicious recipes. Let me know if you try them and what you think!


White Bean Chicken Chili:

Ingredients:
    • 3 15 oz. cans white beans, drained ( or you may cook your own )
    • 6 cups chicken broth
    • 2 medium chopped peeled onions, divided
    • 2 Tbs olive oil
    • 1 1/2 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into ½-inch cubes
    • 2 4 oz. cans whole green chiles
    • 2 cloves garlic, minced
    • 2 tsp ground cumin
    • 1/2 bunch fresh cilantro, chopped
    • 1 1/2 tsp crushed dried oregano
    • 1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
    • 1 tsp salt
    • 1/2 tsp black pepper
Directions
    1. Boil Chicken, drain and shred (either by hand or in a food processor)
    2. Place beans, chicken broth and half the onions in a large pot; bring to a boil.
    3. Reduce heat and simmer. Meanwhile, heat a large skillet over medium-high heat.
    4. Add oil and, when hot but not smoking, add onions and sauté until tender.
    5. Stir in boiled chicken and sauté for 3 minutes, stirring frequently.
    6. Add green chiles, garlic, cumin, oregano and red pepper flakes and stir until well combined.
    7. Add chopped cilantro to bean pot.
    8. Transfer skillet mixture to bean pot and season with salt and pepper. Return to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 1 hour, or until flavors are well blended.
    9. Add more water or stock, if needed.
    10. Serve warm, garnished with Frito scoops, sour cream, cheddar cheese and salsa, if desired
Yummy!

Mango Salsa with Talapia

Ingredients:

1. 2 Mangoes
2. 2 Kiwi
3. 1 can diced pineapple
4. 1 tbsp. mustard
5. 2 tbsp. honey
6. 2 lemons
7. 1 1/2 tsp lemon pepper
8. Talapia or Salmon filets

Directions:

Dice fruit and place in a bowl
Mix mustard and honey to make a honey mustard sauce
Pour half over fruit and mix well - save other half for basting fish
Refrigerate while preparing fish

Preheat broiler to 500
Place fish on cookie sheet or broiler pan
Squeeze lemons over fish
Sprinkle with lemon pepper
Bake for 5 minutes then baste with honey mustard sauce
Return to oven for 3-5 more minutes until fish is flaky

Serve with fruit poured over fish


Vegetable Beef and Tortellini Soup

Ingredients:

1. 4 cups water or chicken broth
2. 1 1.4 oz package of vegetable soup mix
3. 1 9 oz package refrigerated beef-filled tortellini
4. 1 10 oz package of frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed to drain
5. Grated Parmesan cheese

(add garlic salt w/parsley to taste)

Directions:

Mix water or chicken broth and soup mix in a 3 quart saucepan.
Heat to boiling and stir occasionally.
Reduce heat to low.
Stir in tortellini and spinach.
Simmer uncovered for 5 minutes stirring occasionally, until tortellini is tender.
Sprinkle each serving with cheese.

This soup is so refreshing. It's warm but lite. I really like to have this kind of brothy soup when I'm sick.


Baked Apples

Ingredients:

1. 4-6 apples
2. 1 cup brown sugar
3. 1/8 tsp salt
4. 1 tbsp butter
5. 1/2 cup coconut
6. 1/2 cup milk

Directions:

Core apples, leaving peel.
Bake at 425 until apples are tender.
In sauce pan, mix sugar, salt, butter, coconut and milk - cook for about 5 minutes.
Pour over cooked apples.

(Apples are best when served hot)


Cracker Candy

Ingredients:

1. Saltine crackers
2. 1 cup butter, not margarine
3. 1 cup brown sugar
4. 12 oz. package milk
5. chocolate morsels

Directions:

Line cookie sheet with foil.
Preheat oven to 400
In saucepan, melt butter and brown sugar. Bring to a boil. Cook for 3 minutes
Spread over crackers.
Bake for 5 minutes.
Sprinkle morsels over hot crackers and let stand for 5 minutes, then spread.
Cool in refridgerator until hard.
Remove foil and break into pieces.

Easy, fun and mmm mmm good!

1 comment:

Shaun said...

I love the White bean Chili!! You know I could eat that til the fritos run out.