Leslie Polson's Snappy Ginger Cookies

1/4 cup butter
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup Brer Rabbit dark molasses
3 1/2 c. Flour, sifted (I usually only add 2 cups of flour to start as I like chewer cookies)
1/4 c. Hot water
1/4 tsp. powdered cloves
1 tsp. each: baking soda, salt(I add less), ground ginger
1/2 tsp. cinnamon

Blend butter and sugar (I usually melt the butter) together and beat in molasses. Sift dry ingredients together and add to molasses mixture, in thirds, alternating with hot water. Chill the dough 2 or 3 hours or longer. Roll thin on a floured board and cut out with cookie cutters. Bake at 350 on greased and floured cookie sheet for 8-10 minutes. Decorate with icing and other fun stuff.

Melissa's Spicy Pickles

1 Ball Dill Pickle pickling packet

Cucumbers

Garlic Cloves

Jalapeños 

Make pickles according to packet directions but filling jars add half a jalapeño and 1 clove of garlic to each jar. Follow processing instructions.

Melissa's Zucchini Relish

This relish is delicious on hot dogs or brawts or mixed in with tuna fish.  Its also super yummy served over a block of cream cheese as a chip or cracker dip.  

10 C. Zucchini

4 C. Onions

3 Gr. Peppers

1 Red Pepper  

Chop all in a food processor finely.

Place all ingredients in a  large bowl.  Sprinkle with 5T. Canning salt over top.  Let set overnight.  Rinse well with cold water in drainer.

Syrup:

6 C sugar

2 1/2 C cider vinegar

1 T. Celery Seed

1 T. Black Pepper

2 T. Cornstarch

1 t. dry mustard

Combine syrup ingredients in a large pot.  Bring to a boil.  Mix syrup and zucchini mixture together.  Cook 30 min. at boiling (be sure mixture is boiling before you start the 30 min.)  Stir Occasionally.

Pack in hot jars and seal by turning the jars upside down and letting sit for 10 min. and turn over.  

Must have hot jars or they will break and/or not seal tightly.

Do not hot water bath.

Meg's Melba Jam

3 cups raspberries
2 cups peaches
1 can (20 oz.) crushed pineapple
3 cups sugar
1 large (8.5 cups size) raspberry jello

Blend or crush fruit.  In a large pot with out heat mix the fruit and sugar.  After mixed bring fruit to a boil, stirring constantly.  After it boils immediately reduce the heat to medium and let simmer for 15 min.  Remove from heat, stir in jello.  Mix thoroughly until jello is completely mixed in.  Ladle hot jam in to clean hot canning jars.  Wipe the top of the jar clean and place new canning lid and ring on jar.  Turn the jar upside down and allow jam to cool completely.  Once the jam is cool, turn the jar right side up.  The lid should 'pop' down sealing the jar shortly after jar is flipped.  Enjoy!

Homemade Granola

7 cups old fashioned oats

3/4 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 tsp. kosher salt
1 1/2 Tbsp. flax meal
1 Tbsp. chia seeds
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup coconut oil, melted
1 cup honey or real maple syrup (I use 1/2 cup of each)
2 1/2 Tbsp. vanilla
3/4 cup unsweetened dried cranberries or other dried fruit
1 cup slivered almonds

Preheat oven to 225 degrees.  Line a big cookie sheet with parchment and grease lightly.

In a large bowl combine the oats, flour, salt, cinnamon, flax, and chia seeds.  In a small bowl whisk together the water, the wet ingredients over the dry ingredients.  Mix everything together making sure there are no dry spots.

Spread the granola onto the prepared cooking sheet.  Bake for 1 1/2 hours, stirring gently every 30 minutes.  Then stir in desired fruit and nuts.  Bake another 30-60 minutes (continuing to watch and stir every 20-30 minutes) until granola is light brown and crunchy.

Cool and store in an airtight container.  Granola keeps for up to 6 months.

Chocolate Banana Licuados

I just made this up as a throwback to our 2009 Honduras trip.  There are three things that are memorable about Honduras:

1) Taking a quick dip in the ocean on a hot day only to be horrified by a maxi pad floating by in the water
2) Swine flu
3) Licuados and baleadas  (a quesadilla-type concoction with beans, meat, cheese, avocado...whatever the cook thinks of to throw in...sounds ok but easy to get tired of these babys)

So my favorite take-away from the now "murder capitol of the world" are licuados.  These frozen concoctions are a little piece of heaven when you are beating the pavement looking for a hotel or the next tourist stop.  The basic essence is a blended drink made with milk, ice and fruit.  You will find places that blend cereal in as well but I never tried it because soggy cereal isn't really my thing.  My favorite flavor was chocolate banana.  They use cocoa powder to make it chocolate which at first is a little strange, but actually really grew on me.  The combo is delicious.  So here's my best crack at it here at home and it tastes pretty close to what you get down there.  Oh, and to get the authentic experience, pour the finished product into a clear cellophane bag, insert straw and tie the bag shut around the straw.

2 cups milk
4 heaping tablespoons Nestle Quik (more or less to taste)
14-16 ice cubes
1 banana

Put it all in the blender and process till smooth.  That's it!

Meg's Marinara Sauce

32 cups of Blanched and Peeled Tomatoes

4 large Onions coarsely chopped

3 Tbsp Minced Garlic

¼ Dried Basil

3 Tbsp of Italian Seasoning

½ cup Sugar

10 Chicken Bouillon cubes

5 tsp Salt (add more per taste)

1 tsp Pepper (add more per taste)

Blanch and peel tomatoes.

In a large skillet saute onions in a few tablespoons of olive oil until soft.

While onions cook, puree tomatoes in a blender in small batches.  Run them through a strainer to remove seeds.  When onions are soft, puree them in a blender (add some of tomato puree in so they blend easier).  Add tomatoes and onions to a big stock pot.  Turn on high heat.  

Add the rest of the ingredients.  Once the mixture begins to boil, turn down to a medium heat.  Gently boil for several hours to condense down to desired consistency.  Taste and add more salt or pepper if needed.

Freeze or can.

Walnut and Rosemary Oven-Fried Chicken

• I made this today for lunch and it was great!  I thought it was a little salty so I would reduce the salt slightly.  
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• 1/4 cup low-fat buttermilk
• 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
• 4 (6-ounce) chicken cutlets
• 1/3 cup panko (Japanese breadcrumbs)
• 1/3 cup finely chopped walnuts
• 2 tablespoons grated fresh Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
• 3/4 teaspoon minced fresh rosemary
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• Cooking spray 
• Rosemary leaves (optional)
• 
  
• Preheat oven to 425°.
• Combine buttermilk and mustard in a shallow dish, stirring with a whisk. Add chicken to buttermilk mixture, turning to coat.
• Heat a small skillet over medium-high heat. Add panko to pan; cook 3 minutes or until golden, stirring frequently. Combine panko, nuts, and next 4 ingredients (through pepper) in a shallow dish. Remove chicken from buttermilk mixture; discard buttermilk mixture. Dredge chicken in panko mixture.
• Arrange a wire rack on a large baking sheet; coat rack with cooking spray. Arrange chicken on rack; coat chicken with cooking spray. Bake at 425° for 13 minutes or until chicken is done. Garnish with rosemary leaves, if desired.

Shrimp Tacos with Lime Slaw

This is from Better Homes and Gardens April 2013.  We tried it this summer when it was too hot to cook inside and it was delish!

1lb fresh or frozen medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 T olive oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 t ground cumin (I usually cut cumin down to 1/3-1/4 of what the recipe calls for because it is so strong)
1/2 t chili powder
1/2 t salt
1 lime
3 c shredded red cabbage (I used green leaf lettuce I had on hand)
1/2 c sour cream
1 t finely chopped canned chipotle pepper in adobo sauce
12 6"-corn tortillas (I think I used flour tortillas that I had on hand)
Fresh cilantro
Lime wedges

Thaw shrimp, if frozen.  Rinse shrimp; pat dry.  In a resealable plastic bag combine olive oil, garlic, cumin, chili powder and 1/4 tsp salt; add shrimp.  Seal bag and turn to coat shrimp; chill 30 mins.

Meanwhile, finely shred peel from lime; juice lime.  For lime slaw, in a large bowl combine lime peel, lime juice, cabbage and remaining 1/4 tsp salt; set aside.  In a small bowl combine sour cream and chipotle pepper; set aside.  Wrap tortillas in foil.

Thread shrimp on skewers.  On a covered grill, grill tortilla packed directly over medium heat for 5 mins turning once.  Add shrimp to grill; cook 5-8 mins or until opaque, turning halfway through grilling.  Remove tortilla packet from grill.  Remove shrimp from skewers.

To serve, spread tortillas with sour cream mixture.  Top with lime slaw and shrimp.  Sprinkle with cilantro and pass lime wedges if desired.

Makes 6 servings.

Start to finish: 35 mins

Chipotle Bean Burritos

This is another Cooking Light recipe.  I prefer black beans so I only use black beans in this recipe.  The great thing about this is you get the taste of refried beans without the fat.  Topped with lots of fresh ingredients these suckers are tasty!

• 1 tablespoon canola oil
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1/2 teaspoon chipotle chile powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/3 cup water
• 1 (15-ounce) can black beans, drained
• 1 (15-ounce) can kidney beans, drained
• 3 tablespoons refrigerated fresh salsa 
• 6 (10-inch) reduced-fat flour tortillas 
• 1 cup (4 ounces) preshredded reduced-fat 4-cheese Mexican blend cheese
• 1 1/2 cups chopped plum tomato (about 3)
• 1 1/2 cups shredded romaine lettuce 
• 6 tablespoons thinly sliced green onions
• 6 tablespoons light sour cream (I like to substitute non-fat plain greek yogurt..Matthew doesn't :)
• Other topping ideas: cilantro, radishes, lime juice, diced mango
• 
  
• Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add garlic to pan; cook 1 minute, stirring frequently. Stir in chile powder and salt; cook 30 seconds, stirring constantly. Stir in 1/3 cup water and beans; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer 10 minutes. Remove from heat; stir in salsa. Partially mash bean mixture with a fork.
• 
  
• Warm tortillas according to package directions. Spoon about 1/3 cup bean mixture into center of each tortilla. Top each serving with about 2 1/2 tablespoons cheese, 1/4 cup tomato, 1/4 cup lettuce, 1 tablespoon onions, and 1 tablespoon sour cream; roll up.

Slow Cooker Pork Loin with Caribbean Rub and Mango Salsa

This recipe is adapted from a Cooking Light recipe for pork chops.  I love it with the pork loin in the slow cooker because it's low prep, smells delicious while cooking and tastes great!  This recipe goes well with a Southern Living recipe for Black Beans and Coconut-Lime Rice -- yum!

• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground coriander
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 3/4 teaspoon sugar
• 3/4 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
• 1/8 teaspoon ground red pepper
• 3-4lb pork loin
• Cooking spray
• 1/2 cup beef broth
• 1/2 cup diced peeled mango
• 1/2 cup diced plum tomato
• 1/2 cup chopped cilantro
• 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
• 2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 
  
• Combine the first 7 ingredients in a small bowl. Rub pork loin with spice mixture.
• 
  
• Heat a saute or sauce pan over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add pork to pan; brown on each side.  Put pork in slow cooker with 1/2 cup of beef broth.  Cook on low for eight hours or until pork is fork tender. 
• 
  
• Combine mango and remaining ingredients in a small bowl; toss gently. Serve salsa with pork.

Cheesy Chicken Tacos

This is a variation of a recipe that I learned when I was first married and living in Provo.  The portions I am listing will feed to so expand it as needed to feed your group.

1 large chicken breast, frozen
2 oz cream cheese
1/2 c salsa
Lettuce
Shredded cheese
Chopped tomatoes
Tortillas

Put chicken breast, cream cheese and salsa in crock pot and set to low for 6-7 hours.  Shred chicken.  Layer up the tacos with meat and toppings.

Green Chile Chicken Enchiladas

Yet another recipe for chicken enchiladas, but this one might be the winner.  The green chile sauce is a nice change from red enchilada sauce.  Published in Southern Living...meaning not authentic but still delicious!

5 T butter, divided
1 med onion, chopped
1 med-size red bell pepper, chopped
2 cups cooked chicken
3 (4oz) cans diced green chiles, divided
3 cups shredded colby-jack cheese blend, divided
8 (8-inch) flour tortillas
2 T flour
3/4 cup chicken broth
1/2 cup milk

Toppings:  fresh cilantro, tomatoes, avocados, lettuce

1. Preheat oven to 350°. Melt 2 Tbsp. butter in a large skillet over medium heat; add onion and bell pepper, and sauté 5 minutes or until tender.

2. Stir together onion mixture, chicken, 1 can diced green chiles, and 2 cups shredded cheese. Spoon a heaping 1/3 cupful chicken mixture on 1 end of each tortilla, and roll up. Arrange enchiladas, seam sides down, in a lightly greased 13- x 9-inch baking dish.

3. Bake at 350° for 10 minutes.

4. Meanwhile, melt remaining 3 Tbsp. butter in a heavy saucepan over low heat; whisk in flour until smooth. Cook, whisking constantly, 1 minute. Gradually whisk in chicken broth and milk; cook over medium heat, whisking constantly, 3 to 4 minutes or until thickened and bubbly. Remove from heat, and stir in remaining 2 cans green chiles.

5. Remove enchiladas from oven. Pour green chile mixture over enchiladas. Sprinkle with remaining 1 cup cheese.

6. Bake at 350° for 20 to 25 minutes or until bubbly. Serve with desired toppings.

Peach Raspberry Buckle

I fixed this for Matthew's birthday treat and it was pretty darn good!  The recipe is from The Gourmet Cookbook but originally called for blueberries and nectarines.  Matthew loves blueberries but I despise them and since I wanted to celebrate to we compromised with raspberries.  I used thawed frozen berries from Wal-Mart.  It seems like a lot of fruit to be dumping in but it works well--don't be scared!

For the topping:

• 1/2 stick (1/4 cup) cold unsalted butter, cut into bits
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

For the batter:

• 1 1/2 sticks (3/4 cup) unsalted butter, softened
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1/4 teaspoon double-acting baking powder
• 1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3 large eggs
• 2 cups raspberries, picked over and rinsed
• 2 peaches, pitted and cut into 1-inch wedges

• whipped cream or ice cream as an accompaniment

Make the topping: In a small bowl blend together the butter, the sugar, the flour, the cinnamon, and the nutmeg until the mixture resembles coarse meal and chill the topping while making the batter.

Make the batter: In a small bowl with an electric mixer cream together the butter and the sugar and beat in the vanilla. In a small bowl stir together the baking powder, the flour, and the salt, beat the flour mixture into the butter mixture alternately with the eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition, and fold in the raspberries and the peaches.

Spread the batter in a well-buttered 10-by 2-inch round cake pan or 2-quart baking pan, sprinkle the topping evenly over it and bake the buckle in the middle of a preheated 350°F. oven for 45 to 50 minutes, or until a tester comes out clean and the topping is crisp and golden. Serve the buckle with whipped cream.

Game Birds in a Slow Cooker

Matthew enjoys going quail hunting and it's always a challenge how to make these tough little birds come out tasty.  This recipe from slowcookerrecipes.org.uk is pretty tasty and lets the sage flavor of the bird meat come through.  I usually let it cook longer than the recommended 7 hours if I can.


1.4 kg game bird, cut into pieces or 1.4 kg of smaller birds in parts (3lb)
2 cloves garlic
¼ cup of chopped yellow onions
2 tablespoons of olive oil
¼ teaspoon of thyme
¼ teaspoon of poultry seasoning
salt and pepper
1 cup of chicken broth, bouillon or homemade stock
2 tablespoons of honey
¼ teaspoon of dried rosemary
½ cup of sour cream
2 tablespoons of flour
1 cup of cream, half and half or milk

Peel and finely chop the garlic cloves. Peel and chop the yellow onions. Heat a large heavy frying pan to medium high and add the olive oil (use more if needed). Add the chopped garlic and the chopped onions to the frying pan and sauté them until they are limp but not browned or caramelized.

Remove the garlic and the onions from the frying pan leaving behind the oil and set them aside. Add the pieces of game bird to the frying pan and add a little more oil if needed and lightly brown the pieces on all sides. Do them in batches if you don’t have enough room.

While the game bird pieces are browning, start the covered slow cooker on low heat. Once the pieces are browned, place them in the slow cooker. Pour the chicken stock, broth or bouillon over the bird and add the garlic and onions, the thyme and poultry seasoning, the salt and pepper to taste, and the honey. If you like cooking wine or sherry now is a good time to add a splash or two. Mix everything around well then sprinkle the rosemary over the top.

Put the lid on the slow cooker and cook on low heat for about 6 hours. Remove the lid and add the sour cream to the mixture and stir it around. Replace the lid and cook on low for another hour. Poke the game birds while your adding the sour cream. If they seem tough, you can add more cooking time or increase the heat to high.

In a blender or shaker, combine the cream, half and half or milk and the flour. Make sure the mixture is smooth. Remove the lid from the slow cooker again and pour the mixture in and stir around. Replace the lid and cook for another hour.

Serve the slow cooker game birds over or with rice or stuffing.

Spicy Honey Chicken

Also from Our Best Bites!

8 boneless, skinless chicken thighs (about 2 lbs)
2 tsp vegetable oil

Glaze
1/2 cup honey
1 T cider vinegar

Rub
2 t granulated garlic
2 t chili powder
1/2 t onion powder
1/2 t coriander
1 t kosher salt
1 t cumin
1/2 t chipotle chili powder 

Preheat grill to med-high heat or about 400 degrees F.

Combine rub ingredients in a small bowl.

Trim any visible fat off the chicken thights, rinse and pat with a paper towel.  Drizzle oil over chicken and rub it in with your hands.  Rub the spice rub into the chcken thighs.  Grill for 3-5 mins on each side.

For the glaze: while the chicken is cooking, warm honey in the microwave for about 15 seconds.  Whisk in vinegar.  Reserve 2 T glaze and brush the rest on the chicken in the final moments of cooking.  Remove chicken from grill and allow to stand 3-5 mins.  Drizzle reserved 2 T of glaze over the chicken while it's standing.

Black Bean Soup and Tortillas

This recipe comes from the book Our Best Bites.  Delicioso!

1 T olive oil
3/4 c diced carrots
3/4 c diced celery
1 c diced onion
4 large cloves garlic, roughly chopped
1 (3.5oz) can diced green chilies
2 (15oz) cans black beans, rinsed and drained
1 t kosher salt
1/8 t back pepper
1/2 t chili powder
1/4 t cumin
1/2 t dry oregano leaves
1 lime juiced (I used the zest from 2 limes instead)
Optional toppings:  sour cream, tortilla chilps, shredded cheese, hot sauce, chopped cilantro

Heat olive oil in a large stockpot over medium heat.  Add carrots, celery, onion, and garlic and saute for 4-5 minutes.

Add the black beans, chilies and beef broth.  Stir to combine and then add the salt, pepper, chili powder, cumin, oregano, and bay leaf.  Simmer uncovered for about 20-25 minutes or until carrots are tender.  Remove from heat.  Remove bay leaf from soup.

Transfer the soup to a blender.  Place lid on blender but remove the stopper in the lid to let heat escape.  Cover hole with a paper towel to avoid splatters.  Or, use an immersion blender.

Puree soup until desired consistency is reached.  Squeeze in the juice from one lime and pulse to combine.

Ladle into bowls and top with desired toppings.  Serve with extra lime wedges.

Flour Tortillas
2 1/2 c flour
3/4 t kosher salt
1/4 c plus 2 T shortening
3/4-1 c hot water

In the bowl of a heavy-duty mixer fitted with the dough hook, combine the flour and salt.  Add the shortening and combine until crumbly.

With the mixer running, slowly add 3/4 c of hot water.  Mix until the dough starts to come together, adding more water if necessary; the dough should be about the consistency of Play-Doh.

Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium heat.  While the pan is heating, divide the dough evenly into 8-10 balls.  Roll the balls as thinly as possible into circles.

Place a raw tortilla onto the hot skillet and cook until large bubbles appear and the tortilla looks slightly oily, about 1 minute.  Flip and cook another 30 seconds to a minute or until the tortilla is cooked through but not brown or burned.  Repeat with remaining tortillas, keeping the cooked tortillas under a clean kitchen towel.  Serve immediately.

Sweet Chicken Enchiladas

Yummy enchilada recipe from Katie Tucker!

6 Tbs honey
4 1/2 Tbs lime juice
1 Tbs chilli powder
1/2 tsp garlic powder

Mix ingredients together and toss with 1 lb shredded chicken (I crock pot the chicken). Fill tortillas with chicken and shredded montery jack cheese. Pour green enchilada sauce on bottom of 9x13 pan and over filled tortillas. Sprinkle with cheese. Bake at 350 for 30 min.

Canned Spaghetti Sauce

If you have a bunch of tomatoes this is a great recipe from my sis, Melissa.

24 Cups of Blanched Peeled cut up Tomatoes
6 onions chopped up
3 Green Peppers Chopped up
6 tsp minced Garlic
6 Small cans of Tomato Paste
12 Tbs. Chopped Fresh Parsley
6 Tbs. Chopped Fresh Basil
6 tsp. dried Oregano
3 tsp. dried Marjoram
6 tsp. Sugar
3 tsp. Salt
1 ½ tsp. Pepper

Combine all ingredients in a large pot if like chunky sauce and heat to a boil. If you like non chunky sauce, boil just tomatoes, onions, and green peppers for 20 min. and put through a sieve, then add the rest of the ingredients. Simmer for 15 min. Put in bottles pressure can for below times:

Weighted-Gauge Pressure Canner
Pints 20 min. at 15 lbs.
Quarts 25 min. at 15lbs

Dial-Gauge Pressure Canner
Pints 20 min. at 13lbs.
Quarts 25 min. at 13lbs.

Makes 19 pts. Or 10 Quarts

*tip: After blanching and skinning your tomatoes cut them on an old towel to pull away some juices to lessen runny sauce.

Tex-Mex Lasagna

This Cooking Light recipe is definitely a strange concept but I like it. Vegetarian too!

3/4 cup bottled salsa
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 (14.5-ounce) can no salt-added diced tomatoes
1 (8-ounce) can no salt-added tomato sauce
Cooking spray
6 precooked lasagna noodles (such as Barilla or Vigo)
1 cup frozen whole-kernel corn, thawed
1 (15-ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained
2 cups (8 ounces) preshredded reduced-fat 4-cheese Mexican blend cheese
1/4 cup chopped green onions

Preheat oven to 450°.

Combine first 4 ingredients; spread 2/3 cup sauce in bottom of an 8-inch square baking dish coated with cooking spray. Arrange 2 noodles over sauce; top with 1/2 cup corn and half of beans. Sprinkle with 1/2 cup cheese; top with 2/3 cup sauce. Repeat layers once; top with remaining 2 noodles. Spread remaining sauce over noodles. Sprinkle with remaining 1 cup cheese. Cover and bake at 450° for 30 minutes or until noodles are tender and sauce is bubbly. Let stand 15 minutes. Sprinkle with onions.