Butter Than Pumpkin Pie

We have a lot of butternut squash. Aaron found this recipe.  It was simple and delicious!  Just like pumpkin pie.

Better Than Pumpkin Pie

• 1 1/2 cups peeled and cubed butternut squash
• 1 cup lightly packed brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• 1 egg beaten
• 1 cup evaporated milk
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 pinch ground allspice
• 1 pinch ground cloves
• 1 pinch ground ginger
• 1 pinch ground nutmeg
• 1 9 inch unbaked pie shell

Directions

1. Place squash in a sauce pan with enough water to cover.  Bring to a boil, an simmer over medium heat until tender, about 15 minutes.  Drain and cool.
2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees
3. In a blender or food processor (I use my trusty immersion blender).  Combine butternut squash, brown sugar, cornstarch, egg, milk, cinnamon, allspice, cloves, ginger, and nutmeg.  Process until smooth.  Pour into unbake pie shell.
4. Bake in preheated oven for 50 minutes, or until a table knife comes out clean when inserted in the center.

Best Duck Chili Recipe Ever

Aaron went duck hunting on Saturday.  He brought home a lot of duck meat, so he searched for a good recipe.  Like me he can't leave a recipe alone, so this is what ended up making.  It was delicious!  It wasn't very spicy, so feel free to add more peppers, or hot sauce to the final product.

• 1 (5 to 6-pound) duck (3-4 breasts)
• 1/4 cup canola oil
• 1 quart canned tomatoes
• 1 pound ground pork or Turkey
• 1 tablespoon finely chopped garlic
• 1 tablespoon cumin seeds
• 1 1/2 tablespoons kosher salt
• 1 tablespoon paprika
• 2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
• 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1/4 cup masa harina (corn flour)
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 1 red pepper, finely chopped
• 3 poblano chiles, finely chopped (optional)
• 1 jalapeno, minced
• 3 cups chicken stock
• 1 (4-ounce) can green chiles, chopped
• 8 tortilla chips, finely crushed
• 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro leaves
• 3 tablespoons lime juice

Directions

1. Remove the duckmeat from the bones. Remove the skin from the meat. Cut the meat into 1/4 to 1/2-inch cubes.
2. In a large frying pan, heat the canola oil over medium-high heat. Add the pork, cook until browned, about 5 to 10 minutes.
3. Add the chopped garlic and duckmeat, cook until duck is browned, about 5 minutes. Sprinkle with ground spice mix, masa harina and flour. Cook, stirring, until flour is lightly browned, about 3 minutes. Add the onions, red pepper, poblanos and jalapeno. Lower the heat to medium, add the chicken stock and chopped canned green chiles.
4. Crumble the corn chips into a blender. Ladle out enough of the chili liquid to cover the tortillas in the blender. Blend until smooth. Add back to chili. Simmer on low heat for 8-10 hours. Season, to taste, with salt. Keep on simmer until serving.
5. Remove from heat and stir in the chopped cilantro and lime juice. Serve, garnished with scallions and sour cream.

Armenian Dolma

We have a missionary here from Armenia.  We asked him what food he missed most from home.  He requested Dolma.  I found a few recipes and directions on how to put it together.  Using several recipes this is what I came up with.  He said it was very close to the real thing.  The trick seemed to be using thin cabbage leaves.  He liked it served with sour cream rather than the Greek yogurt other recipes suggested.

1 1/2 lbs ground beef
1/2 cup rice 
1/4 cup green bell pepper, chopped fine
1/4 cup lemon juice
1 Tablespoon dried parsley
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon black pepper (to taste)
1 teaspoon salt (to taste)
1/2 teaspoon paprika  (to taste)
1 medium yellow onion (chopped)
8 ounces crushed tomatoes or 8 ounces tomato sauce
1 (14 ounce) can chicken broth or 1 (14 ounce) can beef broth, enough to cover the vegetables
cabbage leaves

To Assemble and Cook:

1. In a large bowl, mix together all except tomato sauce, chicken broth and cabbage leaves.
2. Blanch cabbage leaves; set aside.
   
3. Fill each cabbage leaf with about filling and roll up tucking sides in as you go. Leave a little room for rice to expand.
4. Place stuffed cabbage side-by-side in a large pot.
5. Mix tomato sauce and chicken broth in a medium bowl.  Pour sauce over the cabbage rolls. Place a small dish on top of the cabbage rolls, then put small bowl of water on top of the dish to hold them down during cooking.
6. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and cook for about 45 minutes, until rice and vegetables are tender.
7. Allow Dolma to rest for 1/2 hour before serving.

Butternut Squash Soup

I have an abundance of butternut squash (I only planted one seed).  Now that we've had a light frost the plant is dead, and I finally have some ripe squash.  Aaron found this recipe and it is so simple and delicious!  We liked it really thick and didn't add any extra stock.

Butternut Squash Soup

2 Tablespoon butter
1 small onion, chopped
1 stalk celery, chopped
1 medium carrot, chopped
2 medium potatoes, cubed
1 medium butternut squash, peeled, seeded and chopped
1 (32 oz) container chicken stock
salt and pepper to taste

Directions

1. Melt the butter in a large pot, and cook the onion, celery, carrot, potatoes, and squash 5 minutes, or until lightly browned. Pour in enough of the chicken stock to cover vegetables. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover pot, and simmer 40 minutes, or until all vegetables are tender.
2. Transfer the soup to a blender (I use an immersion blender and blend it right in the pot), and blend until smooth. Return to pot, and mix in any remaining stock to attain desired consistency. Season with salt and pepper.

Chile Rellenos

When we visited a new family in the ward, the mom gave us some fresh peppers - they have peppers, onions and cucumbers on their farm.  I've never used poblanos, but she suggested making chile rellenos.  So I searched for a recipe.  After searching through several this is what I came up with.

• 8 Poblano chile peppers, charred and peeled
• 1/2 pound Monterey Jack cheese, shredded
• 1 cup milk
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
•  2 eggs, separated
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon canola oil
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour for coating

1. Remove seeds and membranes from peppers. Stuff each pepper with cheese.
2. In a small bowl combine milk, the 1 cup flour, egg yolks, baking powder, baking soda, salt and canola oil; mix well to make a batter.  Beat egg whites until soft peaks form.  Slowly fold into batter.
3. Pour enough oil in heavy frying pan to reach 1 inch in depth and heat over medium-high heat. Roll each pepper in the remaining flour and dip in the batter. Fry until lightly browned on both sides. 

A lesson in charring the peppers:  I would use a gas grill.  Turn up the heat and turn them about every 3 minutes I would turn them a bit until everything was charred and blistered.  It took about 10-12 minutes.  Then I put them on a plate and cover it with plastic wrap and let them steam for about 10 minutes.  After that it was easy to peel the skin off.  I had to be really careful cutting open just one slit to remove the seeds and membranes.  Sometimes pulling the membranes out caused another side to rip, so I would use a sharp knife.  
PS it doesn't take long to pan fry them - 1-2 minutes per side.

Summer Casserole

SUMMER CASSEROLE

From COOKS.COM

• About 5 med. red potatoes
• 2 or 3 zucchini squash
• 1 lb. fresh mushrooms, whole *
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 1 onion, sliced into rings
• 2 or 3 yellow crookneck squash
• 1 sweet green pepper, cubed
• Olive oil and Italian seasoning

1. Scrub potatoes and trim. Slice into rounds about 1/4 inch thick, leaving skin on. Toss in a bowl with a couple of tablespoons olive oil until all slices are coated. Place in the bottom of a baking dish about 9 x 13.
2. Slice the cleaned and trimmed squashes into rounds about 1/3 inch thick and set aside in bowl. Separate onion into rings and add to squashes along with cleaned mushrooms and 1 inch sweet pepper cubes. Toss with a couple tablespoons olive oil and 2 teaspoons of Italian seasoning. 
3. When well mixed spread evenly over potatoes and bake uncovered at 325 degrees about 1 hour, or until potatoes are done. Salt and pepper to taste after baking. You can do this with just potatoes and zucchini, and is great hot or cold.

* I quartered my mushrooms, since I didn't have very many

Horchata

 I don't know how authentic this recipe is, but it is delicious.  Everyone in the family loves it and one batch doesn't go far.  Make sure it has time to sit.  Delicious!

Horchata

Ingredients

• 1 cup uncooked white long-grain rice
• 5 cups water
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1/2 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 tablespoon ground cinnamon
• 2/3 cup white sugar

Directions

1. Pour the rice and water into the bowl of a blender; blend until the rice just begins to break up, about 1 minute. Let rice and water stand at room temperature for a minimum of 3 hours.
2. Strain the rice water into a pitcher and discard the rice. Stir the milk, vanilla, cinnamon, and sugar into the rice water. Chill and stir before serving over ice.

Easy Cream Cheese Danish

This is what I made for Father's Day Breakfast.  I don't make it very often and soon you'll see why.  It takes about an hour, which I don't usually have time for in the morning, and it's very rich and heavy on the calories.  This is another great recipe from Jamie Cooks It Up!

Easy Cream Cheese Danish

Dough:

1 1/2 C warm water

2 T sugar

1 T yeast (I use active dry)

1 t salt

3 1/2- 4 C flour

2 T melted butter

Filling:

1 -8 oz package cream cheese softened

3/4 C sugar

1 egg

1 t vanilla

dash salt

1 C raspberry, mixed berry, or strawberry jam

Glaze:

1 1/2 C powdered sugar

1/4 t vanilla

2 T milk

1 T butter

The Dough
1. Mix the water sugar, sugar and yeast in the bottom of your Kitchen Aid, or mixing bowl. Let it sit for 5 minutes until nice and bubbly.
2. Add the salt and the flour 1 C at a time while mixing  until the dough scrapes the edges of the bowl clean. When all of the flour is added mix on high for 5 minutes.
3. Pour the 2 T of butter into the bottom of a large jelly roll pan or cookie sheet. Spread it all around to cover the pan. Set the dough on the buttered pan and let it rest for 5 minutes.  Your dough will be hard to handle unless it rests.
4. Press the dough out to the corners of the pan.

The Filling
1. In a small mixing bowl mix the softened cream cheese, sugar, vanilla, egg and salt together. Mix on high for about 2 minutes or until all ingredients are smoothly incorporated.
2. Spoon the cream cheese filling onto the dough and spread it around to cover the dough with a knife.
3. Warm your jam up in the microwave for about 30 seconds. This will make it easier to spread. Spoon it onto the cream cheese filling in little globs.
4. Run a knife or spoon through the cream cheese filling and jam to make a marble like pattern.
5. With a pizza cutter cut the dough into 12 large (5 inches or so) squares. Then cut each square in half diagonally to make 24 triangles.
6. Let the dough rest and rise for about 10 minutes. You don't want it to rise very much. It should only rise up to be even with the rim of the pan. Just watch it carefully then  bake it when it reaches the rim of the jelly roll pan. Bake at 350 for about 20 minutes, or until the top and the bottom both get golden brown. When they are done take out of the oven and let cool for 10 minutes.
7. Run your pizza wheel back through the cutting lines you cut before baking. It will be kind of sticky and gooey. Clean off your pizza wheel several times as you go.

The Glaze
1. In a small bowl whisk together the ingredients for the glaze until smooth and silky. Put into a Ziploc bag and cut a very small opening in the corner. After the danish is mostly cool separate the danishes from each other and remove from the pan, pipe the glaze onto the danish and serve!

Peanut Butter and Chocolate Cream Cheese Dip

Peanut Butter and Chocolate Cream Cheese Dip

This is a favorite of the kids for after school.  It's not the healthiest, so I don't make it often.  I've also used real whipping cream in place of the cool whip.  It's another one of Jamie's great recipes.

4 T Philadelphia Cream Cheese

5 T crunchy peanut butter

1/2 C powdered sugar

1/4 C brown sugar

Half an 8 oz container Cool Whip

1/2 t vanilla

dash salt

1/4 C mini chocolate chips

Graham Crackers

Pretzels

Marshmallows

Bananas

Apples

1. In your stand mixer or in a medium sized mixing bowl beat the cream cheese until nice and smooth. 

2. Add the peanut butter, sugars, vanilla and dash of salt. Beat until well combined.

3. Add the cool whip and mix just until combined.

4. Stir in the chocolate chips. 

5. Serve with Graham Crackers, Pretzels, Marshmallows, Bananas and Apples.

Orange Cranberry Muffins

This comes from the Better Homes and Garden Cookbook.  However, I added the orange flavor to it, and the glaze option at the end.

• 1 3/4 cups flour
• 1/2 c sugar
• 2 ts baking powder
• 1/4 salt
• 1 beaten egg
• 3/4 cup milk
• 1/4 cup canola oil
• 1 cup coarsely chopped cranberries
• 1 tsp orange zest (or grated orange peel)
  

1. Grease twelve 2 1/2 inch muffin cups or line with paper baking cups; set aside. In a medium mixing bowl dry ingredients. Make a well in the center of dry mixture; set aside.
   
2. In another mixing bowl combine remaining ingredients. Add egg mixture to dry mixture. Stir till just moistened. 
3. Spoon batter into prepared muffin cups, filling each one 2/3 full. Bake in oven 400 F for 20 minutes or until golden. Cool in muffin cups on a wire rack for 5 minutes. Remove from muffin cups; serve warm. Makes 10 to 12. 

For a sweet muffin, top with a simple glaze: 1/2 cup powdered sugar, 1/2 tsp grated orange peel, and 1 Tbsp fresh squeezed orange juice.  Mix together in a small bowl and drizzle over muffins after they have cooled for a couple of minutes.

Slow Cooker Posole

•  We bought a #10 can of hominy for cheap the other day, so Aaron started looking for a pozole recipe.  Some recipes use a "z" others use an "s".  This one used an "s".  We pretty much followed the recipe except that we didn't have any cilantro.  I also made my own enchilada sauce.  Many websites suggested serving this with shredded cabbage, tortilla chips, sliced avocado, and lime wedges.  We had everything except the avocado - but that would have been delicious!  Amy is picky and wouldn't eat it, but the boys ate it even thought it was spicy.  We cooked it for less than 6 hours and it was fine.
  
•  
• Slow-Cooker Posole
•  
•  
• Ingredients
• 1 tablespoon canola oil
• 1 (2 pound) boneless pork loin roast, cut into 1-inch cubes
• 2 (14.5 ounce) cans enchilada sauce
• 2 (15.5 ounce) cans white hominy, drained
• 1 onion, sliced
• 1/2 cup green chilies, diced
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper, or to taste
• 2 teaspoons dried oregano
• 1/4 cup cilantro, chopped
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

Directions

1. Heat the canola oil in a skillet over high heat. Add the pork; cook and stir just until meat is browned on all sides, about 5 minutes.
2. Place the meat in a 4 quart slow cooker. Pour the enchilada sauce over the meat. Top with the hominy, onion, chilies, garlic, cayenne pepper, and oregano. Pour in enough water to fill the slow cooker.
3. Cover, and cook on High for 6 to 7 hours. Stir in the cilantro and salt. Cook on Low for 30 minutes more.