Heavenly Potatoes

Boil, then shred 8-10 medium potatoes, mix with
Cream of chicken
1/4 cup melted butter
1/2 cup grated cheddar cheese
1 cup sour cream

Bake in greased 9x13 pan for 30 minutes at 350.  Add cheese on top if desired.

Easy Fried Rice

2 cups leftover rice
2 eggs, beat
1 cup mixed veggies
Garlic, ginger, soy sauce

Sauté vegetables, ginger and garlic until cooked.  Move to the side.  Pour in eggs with a little soy sauce and scramble.  Move to the side.  Pour in rice with a little more soy sauce.  Mix all together and cook until it's fried and warmed the way you want it.

I usually make two batches of this-one in each of my frying pans.

Apple Pie Filling

Paula Deen's apple pie recipe turned out the tastiest apple pie I've ever made.  I shouldn't be surprised!  I only used her recipe for the filling.

7 apples, peeled and sliced thin
Lemon juice
3/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup flour (whole wheat worked)
3/4 tsp cinnamon
Nutmeg (I just sprinkled some in)
3 tablespoons butter
Egg wash
Sugar and cinnamon for sprinkling

Mix the apples with lemon juice, brown sugar, flour and spices.  Put in pie shell.  For with butter.  Lattice on the top crust, brush with egg wash and sprinkle with sugar and cinnamon.  Bake at 450 for 45 minutes.  I cooked my pie longer than 45 minutes because I don't like the apples crunchy, so I loosely put foil over it and tested it every now and then until it was done.

Pie Crust

The only whole wheat pie crust I've had luck with...the next time I make it I should try butter.

For one crust, cut 1/2 cup palm shortening into 1 1/3 cups soft white whole wheat flour and 3/4 tsp salt.  Add 3-4 tablespoons cold water until it easily sticks together.  Roll it (with flour to prevent stickiness) and assemble.  If you need to bake it, prick it with a fork and stick it in at 425 for about 7 minutes.

Lazy White Bean Chicken Chili

Not guaranteed the tastiest but I like it for when I don't have chicken broth and when I want to do minimal work.

1.5 lbs chicken
1/2 cup onion, chopped
Few cloves minced garlic
4 cups water
1 tsp cumin
1.5 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp oregano
1 tsp chili powder
2 cans white beans (or a few cups home-cooked)

Throw chicken in the bottom of the crockpot.  Sauté onions and garlic until cooked, then put those over the chicken.  Pour in the water and spices.  Cook on low for 6-8 hours.  Shred the chicken.  A little before serving through in the white beans.  You can blend up some of the beans with the liquid if you want it "creamy."  Serve alone or with chips, avocado, sour cream, lime, cilantro, cheese (duh), tortilla strips, etc.

Serves 6.

Simple Pretzels or Breadsticks

The Friend magazine published a recipe for "CTR Pretzels" in the January 2012 issue.  The recipe may not be my favorite for soft pretzels, but it was so simple, fast and easy that I want to keep it on hand.  Under-cooked pretzels reminded me of the texture of Olive Garden Breadsticks.  If you cook them to be nice and browned, their skin will seem more that of a soft pretzel.

Throw all these ingredients into your Kitchenaid and mix away:

1 tsp salt
2.5-3 cups of whole wheat flour
1 Tbsp yeast
1 cup warm water
1 Tbsp sugar

When your dough has been sufficiently kneaded, let rise for an hour or more.  Shape the dough, put on greased cookie sheet and bake for 8-10 minutes at 450 degrees.  Brush with melted butter and sprinkle with salt.

Chicken Spinach Alfredo Whole Wheat Calzone

This is straight from sugarfreemom.com but I never remember where it is when I want it!
http://www.sugarfreemom.com/recipes/chicken-spinach-alfredo-whole-wheat-calzone/

Chicken Spinach Alfredo Whole Wheat Calzone

For the dough:

• 3 cups white whole wheat flour
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
•  1 cup water plus 4 tablespoons
• 2 teaspoons active dry yeast
• 4  tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 2 tablespoons honey
• nonstick cooking spray

Directions

1.  In your stand mixer bowl, combine the flour, salt and baking powder. Make a well in the center of the dough.
2. In a separate small bowl mix oil, honey, warm water.  Add yeast but don’t stir it and let it sit for about 10 minutes until you see some foam form from the yeast.
3. Pour the wet mixture into the dry ingredients and mix until well combined at setting 2 for about 2-3 minutes.
4. Once combined change to your dough hook and keep setting at 2 and let the machine go for about 10 minutes or knead by hand for 10 minutes.
5. Remove your dough and place into a bowl sprayed with nonstick cooking spray. Cover with a towel and let rise for at least half an hour, but an hour is better.
6. Once risen, knead by hand for a minute or so and spread dough by hand onto a baking sheet sprayed with nonstick cooking spray or use a rolling pin.

For the stuffing:

• 1 teaspoon garlic, minced
• 2 cups cooked chicken, chopped
• 1 tablespoon oil
• 2 cups spinach, chopped
•  1/2 cup cream cheese, light
• 1 cup shredded mozzarella, reduced fat
• salt and pepper to taste

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Heat the oil in a saute pan , add garlic and spinach and saute until wilted.
3. Add the chicken and cream cheese and mix until combined well.
4. Add the mozzarella and cook until melted throughout.
5. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

To Assemble:
Spread the mixture over the entire dough.Starting on the longest side of the dough, start rolling the dough over until you reach the end. Make sure seam side is down on the pan. Bake for 15-20 minutes until golden brown.

Hootenanny!

Just like my mom makes it...

 

1/2 cup butter
6 eggs
1 cup milk
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup flour 

 

Preheat oven to 425 F with the stick of butter in the 9x13 pan so it melts.  Beat the rest of the ingredients (blender works great) and then pour them over the butter.  Bake for 25 or 30 minutes.

Cake-like Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

Not sure it's the best but I somehow always have trouble finding a simple fluffy pumpkin cookie recipe.  Thank you Lauren Conrad, thank you.

•  
• 1 cup unsalted butter
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 3/4 cup brown sugar
• 2 eggs
• 2 3/4 cups flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 16 ounces pumpkin puree (1 can)
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 24 ounces chocolate chips (1 bag)

Directions

1. Mix together all ingredients in a large bowl; adding chocolate chips last.
2. Place one inch balls of dough on a buttered or sprayed cookie sheet
3. Bake at 350 degrees for 10-12 minutes or until golden brown
4. Let cool on a wire rack or briefly place in fridge to cool. Pumpkin tends to make the dough quite soft so although refrigerating is not recommended for baked goods, these are an exception to the rule.

This also makes a good dense cake.  Bake in a 9x13 pan at 325 for about 25 minutes or more, depending on thickness.

Easy Italian Meatloaf (or Meatballs)

2 lbs lean ground beef

1 pkg. seasoned stuffing (about 6 oz) - whole wheat or use your own

1can (14-1/2 oz.) Italian-style diced tomatoes, undrained (I use whatever tomato product I have)

4cloves garlic, minced

2 eggs, beaten

1cup spaghetti sauce, divided

1-1/2cups Mozzarella Cheese, divided

Mix and mash everything except 1/4 cup of sauce and cheese.  Shape into little personal-sized loaves and place in glass pan.  Bake at 375 until done - about 40 minutes for the little loaves or about 1 hour if you do it in a giant loaf.  Top with remaining sauce and cheese right before finished.

Whole Wheat Pizza Crust

Finally!  A whole what pizza dough that is light, easy, fluffy and delicious.  This will be my go-to when I have enough time to let it rise...I found this on tablespoon.com but it was posted by Stephanie over at www.girlversusdough.com (her instructions are much, much more clear than mine).

• 2 1/2 cups whole wheat flour, plus more for dusting
• 2 1/4 tsp active dry yeast
• 3/4 tsp salt
• 1 cup warm water
• 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1 tbsp sugar

Combine yeast, water and 1 tsp sugar and let sit for a few minutes while you put 2 cups flour, salt and remaining sugar in your mixer.  Then add the yeast mixture and olive oil.  Let your mixer knead your dough (about 5 minutes) as you add a little flour at a time until the dough looks like it should (like your bread dough).  Let it rise for about an hour (or however much time you have). Roll out your dough and put it in/on your pan.  I have used it on my stone baking sheet but it was delicious in my cast iron frying pans. For your stones, if you can't preheat them (I can't) just throw your dough and toppings on and bake at 450 for about 15-20 minutes.  For your cast iron frying pan, stick your dough and toppings in, then warm on the stove top for about 8 minutes and then throw in the oven until it looks done.

Cornbread Topping for Crockpot Meals

1 cup flour
1 cup cornmeal
3 T sugar (opt.)
2 t baking powder
1 cup milk
1 egg
1 cup cheese
1/4 cup oil

Mix together and put on top of chili (or whatever). It will be done well within an hour on high. This amount works best in my large crockpot - half it when using a smaller one.

Whole Wheat Egg Noodles

These are great for chicken noodle soup...add chicken, the water you cooked it in, carrots, celery, onion, garlic, salt and pepper. I haven't tried these in anything else.

Mix 2 cups flour and 2 t salt. Add one egg and three egg yolks. Mix until crumbly. Add enough water to get a good consistency before rolling out and cutting. Boil fresh or dry for later.

Pear Bread

Adapted from "Buster Bucks" at http://busterbucks.hubpages.com/hub/Worlds-Best-Pear-Bread

1/2 cup oil
1/2 cup applesauce (or pear sauce = mash up pear in its own juice)
3 eggs
2 cups sugar
3 cups flour
1 t baking soda
2 t baking powder
1 t cinnamon
1 t nutmeg
1/2 t ginger
1.5 t salt
1.5 cups peeled chopped pears

Mix wet ingredients. Mix dry ingredients. Fold dry ingredients into wet ingredients. Add pears and mix. (Add nuts if you want.) Bake in two greased loaf pans at 325 for about an hour (check after 45 minutes), or until a toothpick comes out clean. You can sprinkle the tops of the loaves with sugar before baking, which will make a delicious crust. Let cool for ten minutes, then remove from pans.

Next time I make this I will try to decrease the sugar. As it is tastes like delicious dessert bread, but I would like to make it into a more healthy snack.

Whole Wheat Banana Bread and Muffins

1 3/4 cups whole wheat flour (I use freshly ground flour from hard white wheat)
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
1 cup mashed over-ripe bananas (about 2-3 bananas)
1/3 cup honey
1/4 cup melted butter
2 eggs

Stir together flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. In a separate bowl, mash bananas, or puree them in a blender. Mix mashed bananas, honey, melted butter and eggs into flour mixture.

For Bread: Spread batter into a well buttered bread pan. Bake in a 350° oven for 50-60 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean.

For Muffins: Spoon batter into 12 buttered or paper lined muffin tins. Bake in a 400° oven for 20 minutes.

For Mini-Muffins bake them in a 400 oven for about 12 minutes.

Banana Crumb Muffins

Adapted from stephaniecooks.blogspot.com

Ingredients:
For the muffins:
1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 bananas, mashed
4 tbsp unsweetened applesauce
3/4 cup white sugar
1 egg, lightly beaten
1/3 cup butter, melted

For the crumb topping:
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
1.5 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 tsp butter

Mix flour, soda, powder and salt. Beat bananas, applesauce, sugar, egg and butter. Mix wet into dry until moistened. Fill 12 muffin cups. Make topping by mixing dry ingredients and cutting in butter. Sprinkle over muffins and bake at 375 for 18 to 20 minutes.

Granola Bars

Adapted from StephanieCooks.blogspot.com
Makes 8" x 8" pan

1 2/3 cup quick rolled oats
1/3 cup whole wheat flour
1/4 cup sugar (I keep decreasing this amount - next time I will skip it completely.)
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp cinnamon
2 to 3 cups dried fruit and/or nuts
1/3 cup peanut (or other nut) butter
6 Tbl butter
1 tsp vanilla
1/4 cup honey, cane syrup or corn syrup
2 Tbl light corn syrup
1 Tbl water

Heat oven to 350. Grease 8" x 8" pan. Melt butter over low heat. Add peanut butter into butter and stir until smooth. In another bowl mix together oats, sugar, flour, salt, cinnamon, fruit and nuts. Whisk into the butter/peanut butter vanilla, water and liquid sweeteners. Mix all ingredients together and press into pan. Bake for 30 to 40 minutes until it looks browned around the edges. The bars will set once completely cool. After completely cool, cut bars out of pan.

Fruit/Nut suggestions: peanuts, almonds, cashews, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, coconut, raisins, cranberries, apricots, chocolate chips.

Note: I have read that the corn syrup cannot be substituted with honey because its properties are what holds the bars together. I don't know personally but I wouldn't try to skip it unless you want to experiment.

Pumpkin Banana Muffins

Pumpkin Banana Muffins
Makes 24-28

Adapted from a recipe called "Healthy Pumpkin Banana Muffins" from www.food.com by: Vseward (Chef~V) .

4 cups whole wheat flour
almost 1 1/3 cups rolled oats (can use oat bran for 1/2 cup of that)
4 tsp baking powder
2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
4 tsp cinnamon
2 tsp ginger
1 tsp nutmeg
3 mashed bananas
1 cup applesauce
15 oz. pumpkin
4 eggs
1 cup sugar (brown or white)

Oven at 350. Grease or line muffin tins. Mix flour to spice (all dry ingredients) in medium bowl. Mix bananas to sugar (all wet ingredients) in larger bowl. Add dry ingredients. Stir until combined. Fill muffin tins until almost full (they don't rise too much). Bake for 25-30 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean. Cool on wire rack.