Jan's Kitchen

Black Bean Enchiladas

2012-01-14T18:19:00.000-08:00

We had these for dinner tonight, and they were delicious. I adapted this from a recipe I found on Pinterest. The original recipe was for Crock Pot Black Bean Enchiladas, you can find it here.

Black Bean Enchiladas

Serves 4-6

Ingredients:

1/2 yellow onion, coarsely chopped
1 16-ounce can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 cup frozen white corn
2 teaspoons chili powder
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups cheese, shredded and divided - I like a Cheddar Jack mix
1 16-ounce jar of your favorite salsa
10 white tortillas, 6 to 8 inch.

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Spray bottom and sides of a 9x13 baking pan.
In a medium bowl, mix together the onion, black beans, corn, spices, 1/2 cup of the cheese and 1/2 cup of salsa.
Pour about 1/2 cup of salsa into the bottom of the pan and spread it around evenly.
Scoop a scant 1/2 cup of the veggie mix into one of the tortillas, roll it up, and place in the pan seam side down. Repeat with the remaining tortillas until the all the mix is used. It should make 9 or 10 enchiladas. Spread another cup of salsa over the enchiladas and sprinkle it with the remainder of the cheese.
Cover pan with aluminum foil. Bake at 400° for 20 minutes. Uncover and bake uncovered for an additional 10 minutes.
Leftovers will keep for up to a week in the refrigerator.

ROASTED ONION SOUP

2011-12-04T13:23:00.000-08:00

This is a great onion soup, especially for the winter, when I don't mind having the oven on. It's easy and the flavor is outstanding. Hope you'll give it a try.

Ingredients:

2 teaspoons olive oil (preferably extra-virgin olive oil)
3 Spanish onions, cut in half lengthwise and thinly sliced
1 garlic head, large, cloves separated, peeled and cut in half
3 large shallots, cut in half lengthwise and thinly sliced
4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1 tablespoon fresh thyme, chopped
1/4 teaspoon salt, or to taste
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup brandy
1/4 cup fresh Parmesan cheese, grated

Directions:

Set oven rack at the lowest level; preheat to 450 degrees.
Combine onions, shallots, garlic and oil in a large shallow roasting pan. Roast for 20 to 25 minutes; stirring every 5 minutes, or until the onions are golden.
Remove from oven and pour in one-fourth of the chicken stock. Stir liquid in the pan, scraping the bottom to loosen and dissolve any caramelized bits.
Transfer the onion mixture to a soup pot and add brandy, thyme and the remaining chicken stock. Bring to a boil; reduce heat to low and simmer, covered, for 30 minutes.
Season with salt and pepper.
Top with Parmesan cheese when serving.

4 Servings

Wonderful Banana Cake

2011-12-04T10:27:00.000-08:00

I had 3 really ripe bananas, and thought I'd try this unusual recipe. I found it by doing a google search, for yellow cake mix and bananas. Really who need cookbooks any more! The recipe is simple and the result is amazing. It's hard to resist second helpings.

Wonderful Banana Cake

Ingredients:

1 (18.25 ounce) package yellow cake mix
2 very ripe bananas, mashed -
{I used 3, because I had them, and increased the baking soda to 1 1/2 t.}
1 teaspoon baking soda

Directions:

Prepare yellow cake mix according to package directions.
Mash the bananas with the baking soda and stir into the cake mix batter. Pour batter into one greased and floured 9x13 inch baking pan.
Do not preheat oven. Place uncooked cake in oven and turn oven on to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Bake for 1 hour. Let cake cool thoroughly and then refrigerate.

Vegetarian Tortilla Casserole

2011-11-20T18:33:00.000-08:00

This is delicious, you can easily leave off the cheese, if you want it to be vegan. I tend to cook without measuring, so this is my best guess.

Ingredients:

Spray vegetable cooking oil
1 (15 oz) can black beans, drained and rinsed
2 T minced garlic in oil. (jar found in the produce section of your supermarket.)
1/2 t. dried oregano
1/4 t. cayenne pepper
3 T. canola oil
1 medium red onion
1 cup chopped zucchini
3/4 cup shredded carrot
1 cup frozen white corn, thawed
pepper and sea salt to taste
3 whole wheat tortilla wraps (12" size)
1 cup prepared mild chunky salsa
1/2 cup shredded Mexican cheese.

Assembly:

Preheat oven to 350°. Spray 12 inch pie plate with cooking spray, set aside.
Mix beans, garlic, oregano, and cayenne in a small bowl, set aside
Heat canola oil in medium skillet, medium heat. Saute´ onion for 5 minutes, add zucchini, carrot and corn and saute´ for 3 minutes. Season with the pepper and salt. Pour into colander to drain any excess oil.
Place one tortilla wrap in the pie plate. Top with 1/3 of bean mixture, 1/3 vegetable mixture, and 1/3 of the salsa. Make two more layers for a total of 3 layers. Top with the cheese
Bake uncovered for 30 minutes. Cut into wedges to serve.

Serves four.

Pasta e Fagioli

2011-11-16T18:52:00.000-08:00

My husband, Bob, has become "close" to vegetarian for health reasons. He can still have small amounts of chicken, turkey and fish, but other meats are verboten. This recipe is completely vegetarian, delicious and very fast and easy to make.

Pasta e Fagioli

3 T. olive oil
1 small yellow onion, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 small potato, diced
1 stalk celery, finely diced
1 small carrot, finely diced
2 tomatoes, diced
5 cups vegetable broth
1/4 t. fresh thyme, chopped
1 can small white beans, drained & rinsed
1 can red beans, drained & rinsed
8 oz mini ziti pasta, (roughly 2 cups)
salt & pepper to taste
shaved Parmesan cheese for topping

Heat olive oil in large sauce pan (I use a Dutch oven). Add onion, garlic, potato, celery and carrot. Cook on medium heat for 3-5 minutes. Add tomatoes and cook an additional 3 minutes.
Add broth, beans, pasta, thyme, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to med-low and simmer for 10-12 minutes until the pasta and potatoes are cooked.

Ladle into bowls and serve with Parmesan sprinkled on top.

Serves 6 - 8.

Favorite Sandwich.

2011-09-08T13:28:00.000-07:00

One of our favorite lunchtime repasts is a Tuna Sandwich. Since I haven't been doing any "new" or creative cooking I thought I'd share how I make a Tuna Sandwich.

12 oz. can Chunk White Albacore in water, drained.
3 sweet gherkin pickles, diced.
2 stalks of celery, diced.
1/4 cup of sliced almonds.
Best Foods Olive Oil Mayonnaise.

Put the first 4 ingredients in a medium bowl and moisten well with the Mayo. Serve on bread or toast; our favorites are Sheepherders or Whole Wheat. Add a slice of cheddar, if your diet or taste buds allow.

Mrs. Hockmeyer’s Banana Bread

2011-06-02T08:11:00.000-07:00

This morning I had 4 very ripe bananas staring at me. What to do , what to do? They were too ripe to slice, so I decided to make Banana Nut Bread. I went to my recipe file and discovered I was missing ingredients for my two favorite Banana Nut Bread recipes. So, I did what any modern cook would do, I went on the internet to find a recipe that used the ingredients I had. I found this recipe here, and simply added walnuts.

Mrs. Hockmeyer’s Banana (Nut) Bread

Prep time: 5 minutes
Cook time: 1 hour

INGREDIENTS
• 3 or 4 ripe bananas, smashed
• 1/3 cup melted butter
• 1 cup sugar (can easily reduce to 3/4 cup)
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• Pinch of salt
• 1 1/2 cups of all-purpose flour
• 1 cup chopped walnuts

METHOD
No need for a mixer for this recipe. Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). With a wooden spoon, mix butter into the mashed bananas in a large mixing bowl. Mix in the sugar, egg, and vanilla. Sprinkle the baking soda and salt over the mixture and mix in. Add the flour and walnuts last, mix. Pour mixture into a buttered 4x8 inch loaf pan. Bake for 1 hour. Cool on a rack. Remove from pan and slice to serve.
Yield: Makes one loaf.

Spring Onion Soup

2011-03-06T20:49:00.000-08:00

Bob is feeling under the weather and I thought this soup would help. It a modification of a traditional French Onion Soup. I don't eat beef, so I used vegetable broth. For this soup be both prefer leaving the Gruyère cheese in the 'frig, and just use oven toasted bread.

Spring Onion Soup

· 2 cup(s) green onions, chopped

· 2 tablespoon(s) unsalted butter

· 1 tablespoon(s) olive oil

· 1 (about 1 cup) medium onion, chopped

· 3 can(s) (14 1/2-ounce) vegetable broth

· 1 tablespoon(s) lemon juice

· 1/4 teaspoon(s) salt

· 1/4 teaspoon(s) pepper

· 5 slice(s) French bread, 1/4-inch-thick

(5 slices of Gruyère cheese, in case you want to use it.)

· 1 clove(s) garlic, peeled and halved/ or use mince garlic in oil.

Directions

1. Blanch the Green Onions: Fill a large bowl with water and ice and set aside. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil, add green onions, and blanch for 1 minute. Transfer onions to the prepared ice bath to cool. Drain and set aside.

2. Make the soup: Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. Heat 1 tablespoon butter and olive oil in large saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and cook until golden -- about 8 minutes.

3. Add the broth, bring to a simmer, and cook for 20 minutes. Stir in the lemon juice, salt, pepper, and remaining butter.

4. Rub bread slices with the garlic, or use about 1 t. of minced garlic per slice, place on a baking sheet, and toast in oven for 4-6 minutes. (If using the cheese, place on toast after 2 minutes, bake 4 minutes, more.) Watch carefully so the toast doesn't burn. Add the green onions to the warm soup, divide equally among bowls, and top with toast. Serve immediately.

I don't know it if the soup helped Bob feel better, but it sure was good.

Banana Streusel Muffins

2010-12-01T08:54:00.000-08:00

Randi of I Have To Say, talked about this recipe that's originally from Taste of Home. She commented that you shouldn't double the recipe, because it makes 18 wonderful muffins. I concur; and if you are skimpy with your batter, you could get 24 muffins from this. I've changed the original recipe up a bit, not the ingredients, but the process.

Banana Streusel Muffins

STEP ONE:

Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees. Grease muffin cups, or use paper liners. (I just sprayed a squirt of Pam in each cup, and wiped it with a paper towel.

STEP TWO:

In a small bowl mix dry ingredients, then cut in butter. This is the hardest part of the entire process.

STREUSEL:

1/4 cup sugar
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 tablespoons butter

STEP TTREE:

INGREDIENTS:

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 eggs
1 cup (8 ounces) sour cream
1/4 cup butter, melted
3 medium or 2 large ripe bananas, sliced thinly

In a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, baking soda and cinnamon. In a medium bowl, mix eggs, sour cream, butter and bananas, well; stir into dry ingredients just until moistened.

Fill muffin cups, sprinkle streusel mix over muffins. Bake for 25 minutes. Cool on rack for 5 minutes. Remove muffins from pans and enjoy.

Pulled pork the slow cooker way.

2010-11-20T07:58:00.000-08:00

This is an easy and delicious casual meal.

4 - 4 1/2 lb pork butt, with the bone in
1 (14.5) can chicken broth
1 T. white vinegar
1 cup BBQ sauce

Cook the first three ingredients in the slow cooker. Cook on low for 8 hours.
Remove pork to plate and shred or thinly slice.
Place pork in bowl.
Strain liquid from slow cooker; add 1/2 cup to pork, with BBQ sauce.

Serve on sesame buns, accompanied by coleslaw for a great casual dinner.

Simple Banana Nut Bread

2010-11-20T07:47:00.000-08:00

I revamped my Banana Nut Bread recipe a bit, making it healthier. Hope you love it.

Simple Banana Nut Bread

2 c. flour
3/4 c. whole wheat flour
1 1/2 c. sugar
1 1/2 tsp. soda
1 1/2 tsp. salt
4 c. thinly sliced ripe bananas
1/3 c. Canola oil
3 tbsp. orange juice
2 eggs
1/2 c. chopped walnuts

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Grease and flour bread pan. In large bowl, blend all ingredients until thoroughly mixed. Pour into pan. Bake 60 to 65 minutes or until done. Cool on rack for 5 minutes, remove from pan to finish cooling.

Hello

2010-11-06T07:30:00.000-07:00

I haven't been posting here, lately, for a couple of reasons. Number one is I haven't been doing much cooking, and that's lead to lack of creativity. How have I gotten away with "not much cooking"? Bob's had some health issues and he literally refused to eat at home. No, it wasn't mental health. We begin eating dinner at a restaurant, daily. It became a welcome habit, that I'm determined to break. We'll still eat our after I teach Tai Chi, because on those nights we usually dash off to play cards or dominoes, or host at our house. And perhaps one additional night. But I going to work hard on breaking the cycle.

Hopefully, I'll have more to post, here, soon.

Banana - Wheat Quick Bread

2010-04-12T11:12:00.000-07:00

This is a super yummy way to use your ripe bananas. The crust is crisp and the inside is soft and flavorful.

BANANA - WHEAT QUICK BREAD

2 c. flour
3/4 c. whole wheat flour
1 1/2 c. sugar
1 1/2 tsp. soda
1 1/2 tsp. salt
2 thinly sliced ripe bananas
1/3 c. butter, softened
3 tbsp. orange juice
2 eggs
1/2 c. chopped walnuts

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Butter and flour a loaf pan. In a medium bowl, whisk all the dry ingredients together, set aside. In large bowl, blend the "wet ingredients together. Slowly stir in the dry mix. When blended, beat mixture 3 minutes at medium speed with a hand mixer. Pour into greased pan. Bake 60 to 65 minutes or until done. Cool on wire rack for 5 minutes, then remove from pan. Cool and enjoy!

Pear Salad

2009-12-21T08:18:00.000-08:00

My friend Marilyn suggested this would be a great entrée salad with the addition of chicken. I concur. I think grilled and sliced chicken breast would be great. I'm not sure where I bought my pear vinegar; I think I got it at one of the local wineries, but don't hold me to it! I found it on line here: http://www.grapevinetrading.com/vinegars.html.

Pear Salad

1 Bartlett pear, thinly sliced
2 bags of Triple Heart Lettuce
1/2 cup crumbled Blue Cheese
1 cup dried Cranberries
1 cup glazed Walnuts
Pear Vinaigrette Dressing, recipe below

Toss all ingredients in a large bowl. Serves 10 – 12.

Pear Vinaigrette Dressing

½ cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
½ cup Pear Vinegar
¼ teaspoon Salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper

Put all ingredients in small container, cover and shake to mix.

Pineapple-Coconut Loaf

2009-07-03T10:31:00.000-07:00

This recipe is delicious and easy to double. I brought it to our family get together.

Pineapple-Coconut Loaf

1 1/2 cups sweetened shredded coconut
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temp, plus more for pan
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled), plus for pan
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup sugar
3 large eggs
1 cup sour cream
1 can (20 ounces) pineapple chunks in juice, drained well

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spread coconut on a rimmed baking sheet. Bake until lightly toasted, tossing occasionally, 10 to 15 minutes; set aside. Butter and flour a 9-by-5-inch (8-cup) loaf pan; set aside. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, and salt; set aside.

Use an electric mixer on high speed to beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Reduce speed to low, and alternately add flour mixture in three parts and sour cream in two, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Mix just until combined (do not over mix).

Use a rubber spatula to fold pineapple and 1 cup coconut into batter. Spoon into prepared pan, and smooth top; sprinkle with remaining 1/2 cup coconut. Bake until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, 65 to 70 minutes (cover pan with foil
halfway through). Let cake cool in pan 15 minutes. Remove from pan, and transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Keeps at room temp, wrapped in plastic, up to 2 days.

Healthy Chicken and Dumplings

2009-03-01T07:07:00.000-08:00

Chicken and Dumplings has always been a favorite of Bob's and mine. This is a healthy alternative to the traditional version. This is a recipe I learned by watching my Mom cook, and have never written down, before. It can be a one dish meal, or serve it with salad or vegetables. Hope you enjoy it.

• One package of sliced chicken breast, about 1 1/3 pounds
• One large white onion, coarsely chopped
• One large carrot, peeled and coarsely chopped
• One large stalk celery, coarsely chopped
• Four cups of water
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• Low-Fat Bisquick, 1 1/3 cups
• Non-fat milk, 1/3 cup plus 2 teaspoons

Sauté the chicken pieces, in canola oil, in a Dutch oven, until outer pink is gone; add onion and continue sautéing until onion is translucent. Add carrot, celery and water bring to a boil; lower heat to a low boil and cover. Simmer for about 15 minutes, until carrots are done.

Remove chicken, keep warm in covered dish. Use a potato masher to break-up any large pieces of vegetable in the broth. Bring broth back to a slow boil.

In a small bowl, mix Bisquick and milk, forming a soft ball. Drop mixture into simmering broth, you should have eight dumplings. Cook, uncovered for 10 minutes; cover Dutch oven and cook for 10 more minutes.

Place reserved chicken in your serving dish, place dumplings on top of chicken, and spoon gravy from Dutch oven over all.

Corn Casserole

2008-11-28T13:42:00.000-08:00

This is a super easy yummy side-dish. I served it at Thanksgiving to rave reviews.

CORN CASSEROLE

1 can cream corn
1 can strained sweet corn or use your empty cream corn can to measure enough fresh or frozen corn.
1 stick of melted butter
2 eggs
1 small box of Jiffy cornbread mix
1 8oz. container of sour cream

Mix all the ingredients in a casserole dish, and bake uncovered in a preheated oven at 350 degrees for 1 hour. Serves 10-12.

Yummy and Healthy

2008-10-21T20:41:00.000-07:00

Honey Banana Nut Muffins
Makes 16

2 ½ c. Bisquick
1c. quick cooking oats
2t. baking powder
½ t. salt

1c. honey
1 egg, beaten
1c. applesauce

1c. mashed banana
1c. chopped walnuts

Directions:
1. Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. Line muffin tins, set aside.
2. Combine first four ingredients.
3. Combine next three ingredients, and add to dry mixture. Stir until moistened.
4. Add last two ingredients
5. Spoon into muffin tins.
6. Bake for 25 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.
7. Cool in pan, 10 minutes, remove from pans and cool on wire racks.

Greek Bean Salad

2008-07-27T07:06:00.000-07:00

Another great salad. It's easy to double or triple, for a crowd, or half if you need to. There's no dressing, so you get the full flavor of the veggies. This can also be served over a bed of greens.

Greek Bean Salad

2 c. green beans, trimmed, cut to about 3 inch lengths
4 c. coarsely chopped tomato, 4-5 medium.
1 c. thinly sliced red onion
½ c. crumbled feta cheese
1 can (15 ½ oz) garbanzo beans, rinse and drained

Cook green beans in boiling water, 3 minutes. Drain and plunge into ice water. Drain. Place in large bowl.

Add remaining ingredients, mix lightly and cover. Refrigerate until chilled.

Pasta Corn Salad

2008-07-05T13:14:00.000-07:00

This is a great salad for a picnic or BBQ; no mayo to worry about. It's enough for a large crowd, but easy to half for home, even then you'll have some left overs. Yum, left overs.

Pasta Corn Salad

• 1 lb Mezze Penne pasta cooked
• 2 cups shredded spinach
• 3 cups white corn
• ½ cup sliced olives, (2.25 oz can, drained)
• ½ cup chopped red onion
• 1 cup Blue Cheese crumbled
• 1 cup diced celery
• 2 cup chopped, seeded tomatoes or 1 pint grape tomatoes, halved
• Juice from 1 lemon
• ½ cup extra virgin olive oil
• ½ cup chopped walnuts

1. Cook pasta, following package directions, drain thoroughly.
2. Put pasta in large bowl, immediately toss with shredded spinach.
3. When pasta and spinach have cooled, add corn, olives, onion, Blue Cheese, celery and tomatoes, tossing gently.
4. Sprinkle, then toss, with lemon juice and olive oil, season with salt and pepper. Sprinkle with walnuts.

Baked French Toast

2008-06-06T08:46:00.001-07:00

This is great for Christmas Morning, or any time you're having company for breakfast. It's assembled the night before, and popped in the oven in the morning.

Caramelized Apple French Toast

Ingredients:
1 c. brown sugar
3 tbsp. light Karo syrup
6 tbsp. butter
3 Granny Smith Apples, peeled, cored and sliced
18 slices day old white bread
6 eggs
2 c. milk
1/2 tsp. vanilla

Combine sugar, syrup and butter; boil in pan for 1 minute. Pour into greased 9 x 13 pan. Place sliced raw apples on top of caramel. Place bread 3 layers deep in pan. Mix eggs, milk and vanilla together. Pour over bread.

Refrigerate overnight. Bake at 350° for 45 minutes until brown and slightly puffy.

This photo was from when I was interviewed by our local newspaper, The Press-Enterprise, about this recipe. Erin was 7 at the time.

Apple Cake

2008-06-06T08:40:00.000-07:00

This is a wonderful, easy cake. It's a hit whenever you serve it.

Jan’s Apple Cake

1 cup coarsely chopped walnuts
2 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
3/4 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons cinnamon
2 eggs, beaten
1/4 cup granulated sugar
2 cups brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup corn oil
1/2 cup water
4 cups pippin apples, unpeeled, cored and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
Powdered sugar for dusting

1. Heat the oven to 325 degrees.

2. Sift together the flour, baking soda, salt and cinnamon. (Double shift).

3. In a mixing bowl, blend the beaten eggs, white sugar, brown sugar, vanilla, corn oil and water until the ingredients are just combined. Then stir in the flour mixture and toasted nuts. When thoroughly blended, add the apples and stir.

4. Pour the batter into a greased 9-by-13-inch baking pan and bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out dry, 50 to 60 minutes. The cake will appear moist but not wet. Cut the cake for serving and sprinkle each slice with powdered sugar.

Serves 12 to 16

Hut Vegetable Soup

2008-05-02T21:38:00.000-07:00

When I was growing up in Long Beach, one of my favorite cafés served a wonderful Vegetable soup. They've been in business for 55 years and have added other soups, all made right there, and all delicous, but their Vegetable soup is still my favorite. This is my attempt to make their soup. It's pretty close.

Hut Vegetable Soup

10 small White Rose Potatoes, cut into large slices
4 medium carrots cut into large slices
1 large onion, cut into large cubes

28 oz chicken broth, 2 cans
28 oz diced tomatoes in juice, 2 cans
2 cups green beans, fresh or frozen
2 cups green peas fresh or frozen
1 T. olive oil
1T. butter

Heat oil and butter in Dutch oven; sauté onion until limp, and just starting to brown. Add broth and tomatoes, un-drained. Add remaining ingredients and bring to a boil. Turn down heat, and simmer for 15-20 minutes until the potatoes and carrots are tender. Add salt and pepper to taste.

White Bean Soup

2008-04-29T18:48:00.000-07:00

This is one of our favorite soups. Today, my friend Tom told me he lost his copy of my recipe, and I told him to get it from this blog. Low and behold, it wasn't here, until now. Sorry about that. This is both fast and easy to prepare, and delicous and healthy.

White Bean Soup

¼ c. vegetable oil
1 onion, chopped
2 stalks celery, diced
1 heaping T. bottled minced garlic
1 ham slice, diced
24 oz chicken broth
4 cans white beans, drained
Salt and pepper

Heat vegetable oil in large pan or Dutch oven. Sauté onion and celery until soft. Add garlic and ham, stir and simmer until heated thru. Add chicken broth and beans, heat to simmer. Simmer soup for 5 minutes and add salt and pepper to taste. 6 – 8 servings.

Bisquick Coffee Cake - The lighter version

2008-02-01T11:32:00.000-08:00

Some one mentioned Bisquick Coffee Cake the other day. It got me to thinking that I hadn't made it for a long time. Now that I'm home convalescing, I decided to make one. But, there was no longer a recipe on the Bisquick box! What to do, what to do? Google, of course. None of the listings were exactly what I remembered, but they were a starting place. This is what I came up with:

Bisquick Coffee Cake, the Lighter Version

Heat oven to 375 degrees. Spray cooking oil on 8 or 9 inch square pan.

Make Streusel Topping

Make batter

Pick your option.

Bake for 20-22 minutes, testing with a toothpick. Cool 10 minutes before serving.

Cinnamon Streusel Topping:

2/3 cup Heart Healthy Bisquick

2/3 cup packed brown sugar

1 t. ground cinnamon

4 T. butter or margarine (soft, not melted)

Mix all in small bowl until crumbly.

Batter:

2 cups Heart Healthy Bisquick

2/3 cup fat-free milk

2 T. sugar

1 egg

Stir until blended

Then:

These are your options, (options are good):

A. Spread batter in pan, top with streusel topping.

B. Take 1/3 of streusel topping, mix into batter. Spread batter in pan, top with streusel topping.

C. Spread batter in pan, top with 1/3 streusel topping, use knife to swirl topping into batter. Top with remaining streusel topping.

Great Vegetarian Dinner

2008-01-23T17:01:00.000-08:00

I served this to my Book Group, it's easy to double or triple the recipe for a crowd. There was only one vegetarian among us, but everyone loved it and didn't give a thought to the lack of meat.

Black Bean Burrito Bake

1 Chipotle chili in adobo sauce, seeds removed
½ cup reduced-fat sour cream
15 oz can black beans, rinsed
1 cup frozen white corn, thawed
5 flour tortillas, burrito size
1 cup mild salsa
1 cup shredded Jack cheese

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Spray baking dish with cooking oil.

Chop chili, add to sour cream in medium bowl, let stand 10 minutes.Add beans and corn to sour cream mixture.

Divide bean mixture, and spoon down the center of each tortilla. Fold tortillas, and place seam side down in baking dish.

Spread salsa over burritos, sprinkle with cheese.

Bake for 20 minutes at 350 degrees. Five servings.

Tummy Warming Chili

2008-01-21T17:28:00.001-08:00

This is a really easy Chili. You can make it vegetarian with one easy substitution, Vegetable Broth instead of Chicken Broth.

1 can Mexican stewed Tomatoes
1 can fat free Chicken Broth or Vegetable Broth
1 can fat free refried beans
1 can Kidney Beans
1 can pinto beans
1 can black beans
1 chopped onion
2 chipotle chilies, seeded and chopped

Directions:

Drain beans. Sauté onion in a small amount of oil, in a Dutch oven; add broth and refried beans. Stir until refried beans are liquid. Add remaining ingredients, cook for ½ hour.

Gingerbread Cupcakes

2008-01-09T18:11:00.000-08:00

I usually just make a gingerbread cake, but I was inspired by Carrie to try cupcakes instead. Much to my surprise, there were no directions for cupcake baking time. So I guessed, and they came out fine.

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. Then Just follow the mixing directions on the box. One box makes 12 cupcakes. Fill the cupcake liners 3/4 full, top each one with sliced almonds and dust with refined sugar. Bake for 20-22 minutes. I did the toothpick test to be sure they were ready. Cool and enjoy

Chicken Noodle Soup

2008-01-04T17:33:00.000-08:00

This is a great way to use left over chicken.

· 2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
· 1 cup pearl onions, about 16, ends cut off, outer skin removed. Cut large onions in half
· 32 oz Chicken Broth, fat free
· 1 14.5 oz can diced tomatoes, drained and rinsed
· 2 cups mix vegetables; I used corn, green beans and carrots
· 1 cup cooked chicken, diced
· 2 cups wide egg noodles

1. Heat oil in Dutch oven; add onions and sauté until slightly brown and tender.
2. Add broth to pot
3. Stir in tomatoes, veggies and chicken.
4. Simmer to blend flavors for 15 minutes
5. Increase heat to easy boil, add noodles and cook for 8-10 minutes.

I like to serve this soup with cornbread.

Crock Pot Scalloped Potatoes

2007-12-19T10:35:00.000-08:00

5-6 large potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced
1 small onion, chopped
1/4 cup flour
1/4 cup butter
3/4 cup milk
1 1/2 cups Cheddar cheese, grated
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
1 t salt
1/2 t pepper

Spray Crock Pot with nonstick cooking spray. Layer potatoes and onions and cheeses alternately in about 4 layers.

In a saucepan over medium heat, melt butter. When completely melted, add flour and mix well. Then add milk, mixing well. Heat for another minute, and remove from flame. Stir in salt and pepper.

Pour milk mixture over potato and cheese layers in the Crock Pot. Cook on high for 3-4 hours, until potatoes are tender.

Vegetable Soup

2007-12-19T10:21:00.000-08:00

Ingredients
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 medium sized onion , chopped
2 each carrot, sliced ¼ inch
1 handful green beans trimmed and halved
8 button mushrooms, sliced
4 cups

chicken stock

3 cups water
6 red potatoes, cut into eights
salt and pepper

Directions
Heat butter and oil on medium high in a soup pot.

Saute onion, carrot, green beans for 3-4 minutes.

Add mushrooms and cook for another 2 minutes.

Add chicken stock and water, potatoes, and season with salt & pepper.

Bring to a boil, cover, reduce heat and cook at a gentle boil until the potatoes are tender. (approx. 15 minutes).

Season to taste and serve.

Cookies, Cookies, Cookies

2007-12-16T17:02:00.000-08:00

This first recipe was my Dad's favorite:

Rex’s Cookies

· 1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
· 1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
· ½ cup granulated sugar
· 2 eggs
· 1 t. vanilla
· 1 ½ cups flour
· 1 t. baking soda
· 1 t. cinnamon
· ½ t. salt
· 3 cups Quaker Oats
· 1 cup golden raisins
· 1 cup shredded coconut
· 1 cup chopped dates
Directions
1. Heat oven to 350 degrees
2. Beat butter and sugars together until creamy.
3. Add eggs and vanilla; beat well.
4. Add combined flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt; mix well
5. Stir in oats, raisins, coconut and dates; mix well
6. Drop by rounded tablespoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheet.
7. Bake 12-15 minutes or until golden brown
8. Cool 1 Minute on Cookie Sheet; remove to wire rack.

The next one is Bob's favorite, they're both Oatmeal Cookies, but everyone has their favorite:

Jan’s Chocolate Chip Cookies

· 1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
· 1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
· ½ cup granulated sugar
· 2 eggs
· 1 t. vanilla
· 1 ½ cups flour
· 1 t. baking soda
· ½ t. salt
· 3 cups Quaker Oats
· 1 ½ cups semi sweet chocolate chips
· 1 ½ cups chopped walnuts
Directions
1. Heat oven to 350 degrees
2. Beat butter and sugars together until creamy.
3. Add eggs and vanilla; beat well.
4. Add combined flour, baking soda, and salt; mix well
5. Stir in oats, chocolate chips, walnuts; mix well
6. Drop by rounded tablespoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheet.
7. Bake 12-15 minutes or until golden brown
8. Cool 1 Minute on Cookie Sheet; remove to wire rack.

Wonderful Morning Treat

2007-12-02T06:36:00.000-08:00

This really good; I usually make it without the icing. Icing is nice but for the mornings I like it plain.

Rippled Coffee Cake

Ingredients:
1 package yellow cake mix
1-cup low fat sour cream
4 eggs
2/3-cup vegetable oil
1 cup packed brown sugar
1 T. ground cinnamon

Icing:
2 cups confectioners’ sugar
¼ cup milk
2 t. vanilla extract

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 13 x 9 inch baking pan.

In a mixing bowl, combine cake mix, sour cream, eggs and oil; beat well. Spread half of the batter into baking pan. Combine brown sugar and cinnamon; sprinkle over batter. Carefully spread remaining batter on top. Bake for 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Combine icing ingredients and drizzle over warm cake.

Cookies and Cream Cake, hold the ice cream

2007-12-02T06:20:00.000-08:00

What can I say; this is a perennial favorite.

COOKIES–AND–CREAM CAKE

Cake:

1 White cake mix
1 ¼ cups water
1/3 cup vegetable oil
3 egg whites
14 Oreo Cookies, crushed

Frosting:

1 can Vanilla Frosting - 16 oz
6 Oreo Cookies, crushed

Preheat Oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour a 9 x 13 – inch pan.

In a large bowl, combine cake mix, water, oil and egg whites until smooth; gently stir in crushed cookies. Pour batter into pan.

Bake 30 - 35 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool completely.

Frost with vanilla frosting; sprinkle with the remaining crushed cookies.

Easy Mac and Cheese

2007-12-02T06:15:00.000-08:00

I call this "Famous" because Ole told me last year that he still makes this recipe. I gave it to him when he was going to college in Wyoming. It is really easy to make, and no roux to cook!

Famous Mac and Cheese

2 Cups Large Elbow Macaroni
2 Cups grated Sharp Cheddar
2 Cups grated Jack Cheese
2 large eggs
non-fat milk
salt, pepper, paprika; a few shakes of each

Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees. Spray baking dish with oil.

Cook macaroni according to package directions, in boiling salted water. When done pour in large glass of ice water, then drain in colander.

While macaroni is cooking, grate cheese.

Break eggs into 2 cup measuring cup, whisk well. Add milk to measuring cup, up to 2 cup mark. Add seasonings and whisk well.

Assembly - put 1/2 cooked macaroni in baking dish, sprinkle with 1/2 cheddar cheese and 1/2 jack cheese. Repeat. Pour egg mixture over all, and bake for 3-45-60 minutes, until a knife inserted into the center comes out clean. Let casserole sit for 5-6 minutes before serving.

Wonderful, Wonderful Carrot Cake

2007-12-02T06:04:00.000-08:00

I usually make this in one large pan, instead of layers. It is truely delicious.

Jan’s Carrot Cake

Directions

3 cups all-purpose flour
2 1/2 cups sugar
1 tablespoons baking soda
1 tablespoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon salt
4 large eggs
1 1/2 cups salad oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups packed shredded carrots
2 cups chopped walnuts
1 20 oz. can crushed pineapple (w/juice)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour three 10-inch round cake pans or a 9x13” pan.

In a large bowl with a spoon, mix flour, sugar, baking soda, cinnamon and salt.

In a small bowl, with a fork, beat eggs slightly. Stir in saladoil and vanilla extract. Stir egg mixture, shredded carrots, walnuts and crushed pineapple into flour mixture just until
flour is moistened.

Pour batter into pan(s). Bake 40-45 minutes until toothpick comes out clean. Cool cake in pans on wire racks for 10 minutes. Remove cake from pans; cool completely on racks.
If using large pan, do not remove from pan.

When cake is cool, frost with Creamy Cheese Frosting (below).

Creamy Cheese Frosting

In large bowl, with mixer at medium speed, beat 12 oz package of cream cheese (softened), 1/2 c. butter (softened), 1 tbs. lemon juice and 1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract until smooth. Gradually beat in 5 1/2 c. confectioners' sugar until smooth.

Mmm, Soup

2007-12-02T05:57:00.000-08:00

Toasted Corn Soup

1/2 medium onion, finely diced

1 large carrot, finely diced

1 to 2 ribs celery, finely diced

1 tablespoon olive oil

2 cups frozen white corn, thawed

3 cups chicken broth

Heat the oil in a medium size heavy saucepan (preferably nonstick) on high heat. Add the onion and carrot and cook until the onion starts to soften. Stir in the diced celery ribs and corn. Let the mixture cook on high until the pieces start to brown, then stir and continue to brown the vegetables, stirring only when the bottom pieces start to turn color (this should take about 10-12 minutes).

Stir in the chicken broth and heat just until boiling. Serves 4.

1. Life is like an onion...., 2. carrots, blurred, 3. Low Fat, 4. Corn On The Cob

Created with fd's Flickr Toys.

The best bar cookies

2007-12-02T05:48:00.000-08:00

These are wonderful bar cookies. When I take them to work, for the break room, they disappear before lunch. One of the booksellers calls them "Crack on a Plate."! I took it as a compliment.

JP's Peanut Candy Bar

1 (18.25 ounce) package yellow cake mix
1/3 cup melted butter
1 egg
1 package semi-sweet chocolate chips
2/3 cup light corn syrup
1/4 cup butter
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 cups Reese’s Peanut Butter chips
2 cups salted peanuts
1 1/2 cups crisp rice cereal

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees
Mix together the cake mix, 1/3-cup butter and the egg. Press into the bottom of one 9x13 inch pan and bake at 350 degrees for 12 to 15 minutes. Remove from oven, pour chocolate chips evenly over top of cake. Return to oven for 2 minutes. Remove from oven and spread to cover, allow to cool.

In a saucepan, over medium heat, cook corn syrup, 1/4-C. butter, vanilla and peanut butter chips until melted. Remove from heat and stir in the cereal and peanuts. Spoon mixture evenly over top of cake and spread to cover. Cool before serving. Cut into small pieces, it's very rich.

Thanksgiving Special

2007-12-02T05:30:00.000-08:00

This is easy and wonderful. Even my Mom asked for the recipe!

Upside-down Pumpkin Cake

1 (29 ounce) can pumpkin puree
1 (12 ounce) can low-fat evaporated milk (or non-fat)
3 eggs
1 3/4 cups sugar
3 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1 (18.5 ounce) package yellow cake mix
1 cup butter, melted
1 cup walnuts

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease a 9x13-baking pan.
In a large bowl, combine pumpkin, milk, eggs, sugar and spice. Mix well, and pour into a 9x13 inch pan. Sprinkle dry cake mix over the top. Drizzle with melted butter. Top with nuts.
Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 1 hour or until a knife inserted near the center comes out clean.