More things to not lose….

This is a Mom recipe I don’t want to lose….

Angel Bread
(This was Mom’s favorite yeast roll recipe, and she loved sharing it! She would often deliver a pan of freshly baked rolls to a friend with the recipe.)
5 cups flour
3 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. soda
1 tsp. salt
1/4 cup sugar
1 Tbsp. yeast (works out to 1-1/2 pkgs.)
2 Tbsp. warm water
2 1/2 cups buttermilk
1/2 cup oil

Dissolve the yeast in warm water. Mix dry ingredients. Stir together buttermilk, yeast and oil; stir wet into dry.
Keep overnight in a covered container in the refrigerator.
To bake, pull off roll sized pieces of dough, form and place in a greased pan.
The longer the dough is allowed to set before baking, the lighter and higher the rolls will be.
Bake at 425 degrees for 10-20 minutes. Dough will keep refrigerated for 3-4 days.

Yield- I made these for the first time (again) in 20 years… I got 17 rolls… 2 pans of 4 rolls each (that were actually kind of on the big side…) and then the pan of 9 to finish off the dough. I think it would fill a 13 x 9 pan easily…or maybe even 24 rolls if they were more of a smaller size.

I’m curious how these would be if they were mixed with some whole grains and whole wheat flour… My plan is to sub out 1 cup of the flour for WW flour. I’ve got multi grain whole grain cereal…plan to put 1/4 cup in hot water to soak, and stir that in with the buttermilk. This has been too fun to have ready to bake fresh rolls! **cereal doesn’t need to presoak…just stir it in!

10 Grain Angel Bread Adaptation…

Flour Mixture:
1/3 cup Bob’s 10 Grain Cereal (uncooked, dry)
1/4 cup Vital Wheat Gluten (this helps the dough stretch)
1-1/2 cups Whole Wheat Flour
3-1/4 cups all purpose flour
1/4 cup sugar
Add to the flour mixture:
3 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
Stir all together.

Wet ingredients:
1 Tsp. active dry yeast mixed with 2 Tbsp. water (100° to 105°)
Set aside while you measure the remaining ingredients…
2-1/2 cups buttermilk (or soured milk – 2 1/4 cup milk mixed with 1/4 cup vinegar)
1/2 cup oil
Mix in yeast mixture.

Stir milk mixture into flour mixture. The dough will come together and form a ball.
I store it in a greased (spritz of Pam is enough) 2 gallon container in my refrigerator.

Bake at 375° for 20 minutes. Bump it up to 400° if you need to. 18 minutes will likely be enough.

I bought a 6 inch square pan that’s perfect for the two of us. I squeeze off about a 2 inch piece of dough and form it into a ball. 4 pieces fit perfectly for dinner rolls, or sandwich rolls. I forgot a pan the other night, and it’s made dandy doggie treats! They weren’t burned, but they were a lot crunchier than I wanted to fight with!

Things to remember about this style of dough…it’s alive. It will creep out and get into mischief if left completely unattended.

Sticky Rice 1.0

Sometimes you just need sticky rice to accompany your food. I followed general information from Sherri (Thai Foodie), and she starts out by saying sticky rice is somewhat temperamental. First, you need a specific “kind” of rice…in this case “Sweet Rice” or glutinous rice. I’m blessed to have a lovely Asian market nearby and I see them every few days! I was able to pick up a 5 lb. bag of Sweet Rice with no problem. Then…you need to soak the glutinous rice not less than 3 hours, Sherri recommends 4 hours to overnight. I soaked my rice overnight. Next, you need a rice steaming device…”contraption” as she put it… I used a 3 qt. saucepan that was only about 7 inches across, my spatterguard-steamer screen and a stainless steel mixing bowl over the top as a “lid,” and that made me make a thick layer of raw, soaked rice. It took forever to cook, but it did cook (easily 90 minutes) and came out reasonably well for a white girl who didn’t grow up with sticky rice. The rice was sticky, and done all the way through….actually, I think it finished cooking and steaming in the plastic bag while it waited for dinner. Looking back at her recipe, she uses a wide skillet with another skillet over the top to steam her rice. Next time. Next time…

There has to be a next time, because we rediscovered yellow curry. That wonderfully, warm-spiced, thick and rich yellow curry. Usually, 1 Tbsp of curry is more than enough for this gentle palate… Lol… The flavors of the yellow curry (Mae Ploy brand, if you want to know what I used) – yellow chilies, lemongrass, galangal, fish sauce, and spices, including cinnamon, cumin, and coriander – the flavors spoke, and the heat wasn’t intense….so I mixed a 2nd Tbsp of curry paste into a little of the hot coconut milk in the pot. We were waiting for the vegetables to soften…and ultimately we went with 3 Tbsp of the yellow curry paste and it was pretty tasty!

The upshot…try this again with fewer potatoes (I used Yukon gold, peeled and cut into quarters or 1/2 inch hunks), cook the carrots a little longer (I used Dantes carrots I got from the Asian Market). We think strips of red bell pepper would be a nice addition…they’d be pretty and they’d cook quickly. Additionally, one of us thinks we should use shrimp in this dish. Is there a rule that says I can’t? Lol… The idea of trying sticky rice again with a slightly different cooking arrangement sounds reasonable too.

Let’s talk Coconut milk…

When it comes to coconut milk…let’s just say not all products have the same outcome… According to Master Chef, coconut milk is created by blending water with unsweetened coconut – either fresh or packaged, then strained. While that sounds simple enough, looking at the fat content will tell you a lot about what the outcome of your dish is likely to be.

Starting at the “low fat” end…Pacific Foods Organic Unsweetened Coconut milk contains 4 gr of fat per serving (size 1 cup). The same for So Delicious brand. Vita Coco Coconut milk is lighter even yet at 3 gr. fat per 8 oz. serving. However…move from the Alternate Milk aisle to the Oriental Foods aisle and coconut milk looks a little different. Taste of Thai has the lowest fat content at 11 gr per 1/3 cup. Trader Joe’s brand has 11 gr. of fat per 2 oz. serving. Thai Kitchen brand weighs in at 12 gr fat per serving and the serving has changed to 5 1/3 Tablespoons (1/3 cup). Incidentally, the Thai Kitchen Keto-friendly coconut milk is 14 gr fat per 1/3 cup. Four Elephants has 14 gr. per 1/3 cup. Goya Foods…they admit to 10 gr. fat per 1/4 cup. Chaokoh Coconut milk comes in at 15 gr. per 1/3 cup. Aroy-D is consistently 17 gr fat per serving, no matter how it’s packaged, however…the serving size is now 1/2 cup.

Then, there’s Coconut Cream… TAS Coconut Cream has 12 gr fat per 2 oz serving; Thai Kitchen Coconut Cream has 6 gr. fat per 2 oz serving.

I know that the boxed coconut milk in the alternative milk aisle is fine for replacing cow’s milk, however… Thai food and Indian food require the fat in the coconut milk their style, to help develop aromas and flavors. I remember the first few restaurants that offered “Thai” food. I found the flavors weak, but firey. Then, a new family took it over… The soups had depth of flavors, the sauces were rich and unctuous… One night I asked why her Tom Kha Gai was the best I’d ever eaten. She told me that the broth had to be flavorful and not to skimp on the rich coconut milk. Don’t water it down! That made sense.

Back to Peanut Sauce. . .

No two cooks make salsa exactly the same way. We all use the basics…tomatoes, onions, chiles, and seasonings. I suppose spaghetti sauce is much the same when we aren’t following a recipe precisely. Peanut sauce is right up there in the middle.

This excursion into Peanut Sauce comes to us from She Simmers… This is her mother’s recipe, all the more precious because her mother has ventured to the hereafter. Easy Thai Peanut Sauce We’re trying to decide which sauce we like best for our “house” sauce – and we are going through it!

We liked the ACF Peanut Sauce from 2018… However…it’s not a cooked sauce and we rather like the flavors of the red curry paste. So, while the ACF was held in high favor…we’re still testing and trying. Thai Foodie’s Legit Peanut Sauce is almost exactly the same as the the sauce from She Simmers. Cooking the sauce improves the flavor of the sauce…

Now…let me let you in on a little secret… I went to my local Asian market and found an entire end-cap FULL of jars of peanut butter…JIF peanut butter!! Lol…. With all the added sugars and emulsifiers… It really made me laugh… Lol…. I’m still buying…Adams!

If I say Coconut Milk…

If I say Coconut Milk, what do you think of? Something in a carton from the Alternative Milks aisle? A can of something in the canned milk and baking aisle? Something in the can that’s so thick that a “church-key” can opener is useless… Yet all those things are classified as coconut milk. They can all be used in recipes with varying results, success depending on paying attention to the fat content. You can sub most of the coconut milks in cartons for standard dairy milk. You can use the higher fat canned coconut milks that you’ll find in the Asian food aisle for standard dairy milk too….shake it really well and be prepared for a really yummy rich and dense result.

Coconut milks with low fat
So Delicious brand Serving size: 1 cup (8 oz.) 4 gr. fat ( 5%) 45 fat calories
Vita Coco brand Serving size: 1 cup (8 oz.) 3 gr. fat ( 4%) 50 fat calories

Coconut milks with high fat
Trader Joe’s brand Serving size: 1/4 cup (4 Tbsp) 11 gr. fat (14%) 110 fat calories (Organic)
Thai Kitchen brand Serving size: 1/3 cup (5 Tbsp) 12 gr. fat (15%) 120 fat calories (Organic)
Thai Kitchen brand Serving size: 1/3 cup (5 Tbsp) 14 gr. fat (22%) 140 fat calories (Keto friendly)
Chaokoh brand Serving size: 1/4 cup (2 oz.) 15 gr. fat ( 23%) 150 fat calories
Aroy-D brand Serving: 1/2 cup (8 Tbsp) 17 gr. fat (26%) 150 fat calories

Which to use for what? If you don’t want dairy milk, coconut milk should be a nice substitute. However…if you’re cooking foods with an Asian/East Indian influence, the milks with higher fat content will give you richer sauces and soups.

I’m honestly in search of a “favorite” coconut milk. I used to know what was immediately available, but things have changed. Right now I’ve got Chaokoh and Aroy-D in the house. I confess: I really like the little 5.6 oz cans! There are just two of us and the little cans are just right! It seems I used to have Mae Ploy coconut milk in my stash, but that’s been awhile. I’ll get back on which worked best for what….because I appear to have my head in a cloud of Thai!!

Banana Muffins

I’ve never done a lot of baking here…but… Everyone needs good breakfast bread recipes now & then & this adaptation is my favorite (at least for now!!)!

With grateful thanks to Sally’s Baking Addiction, I’ve used her recipe almost exactly – I just play some of the lines a little…. If it’s an odd situation to melt the butter….I use coconut oil instead. If the bananas don’t yield quite enough fruit…I add applesauce (don’t tell, but with so much cinnamon in the mix, apple butter will be ok to about 1/3 cup of that 1-1/2 cups).

When everything was mixed together, I got exactly 12 muffins using a fairly level size 16 culinary scoop.

Out of respect to Sally… I’m only going to give you a list of the ingredients…her recipe is here….
3 bananas, very ripe
flour
sugar
melted butter or oil
baking soda and baking powder
cinnamon and nutmeg
vanilla

These muffins had a delicate soft texture, while bringing wonderful banana flavor to the table. You’re welcome to add nuts…walnuts or pecans would work well. Enjoy!!

Recipes I don’t want to lose…

Through the years I’ve posted recipes on various websites….many have gone the way of Dot Com everything from the 90’s….   A couple I may have lost forever…my teriyaki marinade for instance…  Not sure if one of those still exists ANYwhere…  Oh well…almost but not quite committed to memory….  So, this is a little cache of some recipes we really liked from who knows where!!

Dragon’s Breath Soup
1/2 ounce dried shiitake mushrooms
1 cup hot water
Vegetable cooking spray
1 tsp. chili oil
1 cup bean sprouts
1/4 cup sliced green onions
2 tsp. minced garlic
3 tbsp. white wine vinegar
1 tbsp. low-sodium soy sauce
1/4 tsp. white pepper
2 (10―-ounce) cans low sodium chicken broth
1 (10.5 oz.) package firm tofu, drained and cubed
2 tbsp. cornstarch
2 tbsp. water
1 egg white, lightly beaten
Place mushrooms in a microwavable bowl. Add hot water. Microwave on HIGH 2 minutes. Let stand 15 minutes. Drain; discard stems, and chop coarsely. Set aside.  Coat a large saucepan with cooking spray; add oil, and place over medium high heat until hot. Add bean sprouts, green onions, and garlic; saute 3 minutes or until tender. Add mushroom caps, vinegar, and next 4 ingredients; bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer 3 minutes. Combine cornstarch with water; stir until blended. Whisk cornstarch into soup. Cook 1 minute, or until thickened. Remove from heat. Slowly drizzle egg white into soup, stirring in a circular direction. Makes 4 servings.

Spinach and Artichoke Stuffed Tomatoes
3 large, firm tomatoes
salt to taste
freshly ground black pepper
1-6 oz.. jar marinated artichoke hearts
1-10 oz. pkg. frozen chopped spinach, thawed
4 green onions, chopped
3 oz pkg. cream cheese, softened
2 Tbsp sour cream
1 tsp. oregano
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 Tbsp. butter, melted
1/2 cup dry bread crumbs
Preheat over to 350 degrees. Halve tomatoes crosswise and scoop out the pulp and seeds, taking care not to puncture the shells. Season to taste with salt and pepper; set aside. Drain artichoke hearts; chop fine. Squeeze the excess liquid from the thawed spinach. In a bowl, mix together the artichoke hearts, spinach and green onions. In another bowl or a food processor, mix together the cream cheese, Parmesan cheese, oregano and sour cream. Fold cheese mixture into vegetable mixture. Mound cheese mixture into tomato shells. Mix melted butter with bread crumbs and top each tomato with buttered crumbs. Place tomatoes in a 13″ x 9″ baking dish and heat at 350 degrees for about 10 minutes or until just heated through. Serve hot. Makes 6 servings.

Wendy’s Lime Jello Salad
2 pkgs. (small) Lime Jello
2 cups boiling water
1-16 oz can pineapple chunks with juice
1 cup evaporated milk
1 cup mayonnaise
1-8 oz. carton small curd cottage cheese
Mix jello with water until totally dissolved. Put remaining ingredients in the blender and process for just a few seconds for a smoother texture. Stir into jello and refrigerate. The measurements don’t need to be exact. A tablespoon here or there won’t matter! Also, you can substitute low or non fat products or sugar free jello!

Turkey Waldorf Salad for Tea Sandwiches
2 cups diced apple (Gala is a good choice)
1 cup diced turkey breast
1/2 cup chopped celery
1 Cup mayonnaise mixed with 1/4 cup sugar
2 dozen small croissants, sliced in half lengthwise.
Mix ingredients together. Spoon into croissants. Serve immediately (can be held a few hours).
(You could also fill savory cream puffs or crepes with this mixture)
Makes 24 servings

Spinach Salad Vermillion
1 1/4 lbs. spinach
1/2 lb. sliced mushrooms
3 hard-cooked eggs, chopped fine
½ cup grated Parmesan
6 bacon slices
2 tsp. Dijon mustard
1 tbsp. sugar
½ cup sherry vinegar (substitute 2T sherry + enough white wine vinegar to make 1/2 cup)
½ tsp. salt
½ tsp. freshly ground black pepper
½ cup olive oil
6 green onions, chopped
Remove stems from spinach leaves, and tear into bite-sized pieces. Place into heat proof salad bowl. Add mushrooms, eggs, and cheese. Cook bacon slices until crisp. Remove from skillet, and crumble bacon into salad bowl. F Heat drippings over medium heat; whisk in mustard and sugar; whisk while cooking for 1 minute. Pour in vinegar, and whisk until sugar dissolves. Add salt and pepper. Add olive oil in a steady stream, whisking constantly. Stir in green onions, and immediately invert skillet over greens in the salad bowl. Leave in place 1 minute to wilt salad. Remove skillet, toss salad well, and serve immediately.
Serves 6 to 8.

Fresh Tomato Basil Dressing
4 Roma tomatoes, quartered
15 fresh basil leaves
1\2 cup mayonnaise
1\2 cup balsamic vinegar
Salt to taste
Puree all ingredients in a blender at high speed until smooth.
Makes 2 cups.

Mexican Shrimp de la Roseberry
1-1/2 pounds medium shrimp, cleaned, deveined and cooked
1/4 tsp grated lime zest
1/4 cup each, lime juice and dry white wine
1/2 cup catsup
Salt to taste
Few drops liquid pepper seasoning
(I add 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped and 1 tbsp snipped cilantro leaves)
Mix ingredients together and add shrimp.  Chill at least 4 hours.
We’ve also just stirred it up without waiting!

Southwestern Black Bean Salad
1 can (16 oz.) Black beans
½ red bell pepper, chopped
½ yellow bell pepper, chopped
1 small jalapeno pepper, peeled, seeded and finely chopped
½ cup frozen cut corn, thawed
¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro
1 Tbsp. fresh lime juice
Salt to taste
Mix together and allow flavors to blend at least 30 minutes.
Good with any southwestern or mesquite flavored grilled foods.

Red, White and Bleu Coleslaw
1 bag cole slaw mix
1 jar of T Marzetti’s or Marie’s Cole Slaw Dressing
Equivalent amount of Mayonnaise
1 Large package of bleu cheese
Cherry or Grape Tomatoes, sliced in half
Place cole slaw mix in a large bowl. Add mayonnaise and cole slaw dressing. Mix until creamy; add half of bleu cheese. Mix in cabbage; top with remaining bleu cheese and cherry tomatoes.
Chill 2-3 hours before serving. Will keep several days in an airtight container.

Jo’s Cinnamon Applesauce Salad
1 (3 oz.) package lemon Jell-O
1 cup boiling water
2/3 cup red hots candies
1 1/2 cup applesauce
Filling~
8 oz. cream cheese
1/2 cup celery, finely chopped
1/2 nuts, finely chopped
1/2 cup mayonnaise
Dissolve candy in boiling water. Stir in Jell-o until dissolved. Stir in applesauce. Put half of the mixture into a greased mold and refrigerate (she used a bear pan) until set. Prepare filling and pour onto layer of set Jell-O.  Top with remaining Jell-O mixture. Chill until set. Completely fills a standard size loaf pan.

Angel Bread
(This was Mom’s favorite yeast roll recipe, and she loved sharing it! She would often deliver a pan of freshly baked rolls to a friend with the recipe.)
5 cups flour
3 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. soda
1 tsp. salt
1/4 cup sugar
1 Tbsp. (or package) yeast
2 Tbsp. warm water
2 1/2 cups buttermilk
1/2 cup oil

Dissolve the yeast in warm water. Mix dry ingredients. Stir in buttermilk, yeast and oil. Keep overnight in a covered container in the refrigerator. To bake, pull off roll sized pieces of dough and place in a greased pan.
The longer the dough is allowed to set before baking, the lighter and higher the rolls will be.
Bake at 450 degrees for 12-20 minutes. Dough will keep refrigerated for 3-4 days.

Pumpkin Pie Cake
(This is so good and so easy!)
1 can (29 oz.) pumpkin
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 can (13 oz) evaporated milk
4 eggs
2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice
Topping:
1 yellow cake mix
2 sticks of margarine, melted
1/2 cup chopped nuts (optional)

Mix pumpkin, sugar, milk, eggs and spices in a large bowl. Pour into a greased 9×13 inch pan. Sprinkle the cake mix over the top, drizzle with melted margarine and top with nuts if desired. Bake at 350 degrees for an hour and 15 minutes. Cool. Serve with cool whip. Serves 12.

Sauerkraut Salad (Mary Helen Kerr’s Sauerkraut Salad)
(This isn’t my mother’s recipe, but my mother and many of her friends coveted this recipe!)
1 large can sauerkraut, drained and rinsed.
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup green pepper
1/2 cup chopped celery
Salt and pepper
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup salad oil
1/4 cup white vinegar
1/2 cup dry roasted peanuts
Mix all ingredients together and refrigerate for several hours. This salad will keep a long time in the refrigerator.

Breakfast Pizza
1 tube Grands Buttermilk Biscuits
1 pkg.. Jimmy Dean Country Gravy (made according to directions)
3 eggs. scrambled
1 cup diced ham or crumbled cooked sausage
1 cup shredded cheese
Lightly grease a pizza pan. Roll biscuits to 1/4 inch thickness and cut and
piece together to make a crust. Bake at package temperature about 10
minutes or just until biscuits are lightly browned. Remove from oven.
Spread gravy on cooked biscuit crust. Top with ham or sausage and scrambled
eggs. Sprinkle with grated cheese. Return to oven for 5-10 minutes or
until hot and cheese is melted.
Makes about 6 servings

Mushroom Soufflé
2 cups finely chopped fresh mushrooms
1/2 cup vermouth
3/4 cup milk
3 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons all purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon white pepper
5 eggs, separated
Combine mushrooms and vermouth in small saucepan. Add milk, bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer 15 minutes.
Melt butter in saucepan; stir in flour. Cook, stirring constantly, until golden. Stir in mushroom mixture; cook, stirring constantly, about 3 minutes or until thick. Remove from heat; season with salt and pepper.
Beat egg yolks with fork until light and lemon colored. Pour slowly into mushroom mixture. Beat vigorously with a wooden spoon. Heat just to boiling, but do not boil. Remove from heat and stir several minutes to cool.
Beat egg whites until stiff but not dry; fold about 1/3 into mushroom mixture. Add remainder and fold to mix gently but thoroughly. Turn into a buttered and floured 7 inch soufflé dish. Bake at 350 degrees for 35 minutes or until puffed, browned and firm in center. Makes 4-6 servings. Serve immediately after removing from oven.

Chili Verde
3# pork roast, cut into bite sized pieces
1 large can green enchilada sauce
1 13 oz. can tomatillos, drained
1 large onion
2 Tbsp minced garlic
Jalapeno to taste
Brown the pork chunks in a little oil and put into the crock. Puree tomatillos in a blender with the onion, garlic and fresh or canned jalapeno chilis to taste. If you like a heartier chili taste, throw in a 4 oz. can of diced green chilis too! Pour the puree and the green enchilada sauce over the meat and cook 6-8 hours. Serve with hot flour tortillas and shredded cheddar cheese.

Peanut Butter and Hot Fudge Pudding Cake
(I haven’t made this, but it sure sounds good!)
1/2 cup flour
1/4 cup sugar
3/4 tsp. baking powder
1/3 cup milk
1 tbsp. vegetable oil
1/2 tsp. vanilla
1/4 cup peanut butter
1/2 cup sugar
3 tbsp. unsweetened cocoa powder
1 cup boiling water
In a bowl, combine flour, 1/4 cup sugar, and baking powder. Add milk, oil and vanilla. Stir until smooth. Mix in peanut butter. Pour into crock pot.
In the same mixing bowl stir together the 1/2 cup sugar and cocoa powder. Gradually stir in boiling water. Pour over batter in crock pot, but do not stir.
Cover and cook on high 2 to 3 hours or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Serve warm with vanilla ice cream, hot fudge sauce and top with nuts.

Eggplant Parmesan
Marinara Sauce (jar of Spaghetti sauce will work)
1 large eggplant
Salt
Flour for dredging
2 eggs, beaten
Bread Crumbs
16 oz. Mozzarella cheese, shredded
Parmesan cheese
Oil for frying

Prepare or heat Marinara sauce. While sauce is simmering, slice eggplant crosswise ½ inch thick, sprinkle with salt and let set for 30 minutes. Pat eggplant slices dry, dredge in flour, dip in egg to coat then dredge in bread crumbs. Fry quickly in hot oil, turning once until golden brown on both sides. Eggplant should be tender. Drain on paper towels while cooking remaining slices.

Grease a 9 x 13 inch baking pan with cooking spray. Lay sliced eggplant into pan, overlapping pieces by 1/3 each. Place a bit of shredded cheese between each slice. Sprinkle liberally with Parmesan cheese. Top with Marinara sauce. Cover with mozzarella and sprinkle with Parmesan again.
Bake at 350 degrees until hot and bubbly.
Serves 4 to 6.

Chili Rellenos Casserole
1 cup half and half (milk will work well also)
2 eggs
1/3 cup flour
3 4 oz. cans whole green chilis
1/2 pound Monterey Jack cheese (shredded)
1/2 pound Sharp cheddar cheese (shredded)
1 cup mild salsa

Beat half & half, eggs, & flour until smooth. Split chilis open, remove seeds, rinse and pat dry. Mix shredded cheeses. Set aside 1/2 cup cheese for top of casserole. Spray a deep 1 1/2 qt. casserole dish with cooking spray, and make alternate layers of cheese, egg mixture and chilis. Top last layer with salsa and remaining cheese. Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour and 15 minutes, or until set in the center. Serves 4 to 6.

Variation: Substitute diced chilis for whole chilis, and stir chilis into egg mixture. Layer cheese and egg mixture into a 9 x 13 inch greased baking pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 45-60 minutes until set in the center. Cool slightly and cut into squares to serve. Serves 4 to 6.

From Candi’s kitchen….

Minestrone
1 tbl Vegetable oil
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 lg. clove garlic, finely chopped
2 14 oz cans vegetable broth
1 3/4 LB (15 oz can) great northern white beans , rinsed and drained.
1 1/2 cups water
2/3 cup (6 oz can) Italian tomato paste w/ tomato pesto
1 tsp. Italian herb seasoning
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
2 cups (2 lg.) sliced zucchini
1 pkg. (10 oz) frozen mixed veggies
1/3 cup small macaroni such as shells or bow ties

Heat oil in large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add onion and garlic; cook, stirring frequently, for 1 to 2 minutes or until tender. Stir in broth, beans, water, tomato paste, herb seasoning and pepper. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low; cook, covered, for 10 minutes.

Add zucchini, mixed veggies, and pasta. Bring to a boil, stirring to break up veggies. Reduce heat to low, cook, uncovered 8 to 10 minutes or until veggies and pasta are tender. Freeze for up to 4 months.

Thaw soup overnight in refrigerator. Place partially thawed soup in large saucepan. Warm over medium heat to serving temp. Makes 6 servings.

From the Kitchen of Priscilla Owens….
CHICKEN & SPAGHETTI 
4 Chicken Breasts w/Skin
1 Can Cream of Mushroom Soup
1 Can Cream of Chicken Soup
1 Can Rotel Tomatoes
1 Small Carton Sour Cream
1 Small Box Velveeta Cheese
1 Pkg. Fresh Sliced Mushrooms
1 Small bunch green onions
Sliced black olives (optional)

Boil chicken breasts w/skin for about 20 mins. Remove chicken breasts from broth and set aside to cool. When cool, remove skin and chop or shred chicken.
Cook one package of spaghetti in broth and drain spaghetti, saving broth.
Saute chopped green onion tops w/sliced mushrooms in butter until soft.
Melt Velveeta Cheese in microwave.
Mix all together and bake in casserole dish @ 350 deg. For 20-25 mins.
You will need to add some broth in before baking to keep mixture moist
enough.
Note: Each time I re-warmed I added a little more broth. (Even froze some of it and it was just as good when we had it later).

Serve w/tossed green salad w/ Pepperidge Farms Seasoned Croutons w/ranch dressing below and hot garlic bread for a really delicious meal.

From the Kitchen of….Tami Standley

TACO SOUP
Brown 1 lb. hamburger and chopped onion and drain. Put into slow cooker
along with the following:
2 cups water
1 can whole kernel corn
2 cans tomato soup
1 package taco seasoning mix
1  (15 oz.) can chili
Serve over fritos corn chips. Top with sour cream and shredded cheddar cheese.
EASY B-B-Q CHICKEN
(this really isn’t a recipe but it is my most favorite thing to do with my crockpot. It is so quick and easy….kind of recipes I like)
I put 6-8 chicken breasts in the crockpot. (easy so far, huh?) Next I pour a bottle of my favorite BBQ sauce over the top and stir it until all chicken pieces are well coated. I like to use KC Masterpiece but you use what you like. And…….that’s it…..just cook in there 6 or more hours. If putting frozen chicken pieces in there then allow an extra hour or two to cook. When you’re ready to eat, it comes out just like shredded meat. It is sooo tender. We usually put them on hamburger buns. My hubby places the whole breast on his bun but my kids and I usually shred our chicken with a fork first and then place it on our buns. Easy and yummy!!

From the Kitchen of Dottie…

MY FAVORITE CHILI RELLENO CASSEROLE
1 (1 lb, 10oz.) can whole green chiles, about 18
1 lb Monterey jack cheese 1/2 lb grated cheddar cheese
5 large eggs 1/4 cup flour
1 1/4 cup milk 1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper 1/2 tsp paprika
Wash, split, deseed peppers; drain on a paper towel.
Cut Jack cheese into 1/2 x 2″ pieces and stuff peppers.
Place in sprayed baking dish; cover with grated cheese. 18 chiles will lay side by side in a 9 x 13 casserole dish.
Beat eggs, flour. milk, salt, pepper and paprika. Pour over peppers and cheese. (Don’t worry if flour is a little lumpy.) Bake 350* for 45 mins. or until bubbly. Can be made ahead.

From the Kitchen of…Sharon Mitchell…

Sally’s Spinach
3 packages frozen chopped spinach
1 pint sour cream
1 package Lipton Onion Soup
1 cup Pepperidge Farm Dressing
Cook spinach and drain. Mix with sour cream and Lipton soup mix.
Place in buttered casserole; top with dressing and dot with butter.
Bake, uncovered for 1/2 hour at 350 degrees.

Teriyaki Marinade

1/2 cup light soy
1/2 cup sake
1/4 cup mirin
1/4 cup sugar

Heat, gently until sugar is melted.
Use full strength as a marinade, or cut and use diluted 1:1 with water as a sauce.

Hold on a minute…

I’m suddenly between computers, and I need a place to hold onto things….like the recipe for sweet cornbread I used last night…

1 cup white flour
1 cup corn flour or corn meal
1/2-2/3 cup sugar
1 Tbsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
2 large eggs
1-1/4 cup milk
1/3 cup oil
3 tbsp butter, melted

8 inch square pan
350°F for 30-35 minutes

Very close to Albers original recipe.

7 Months and counting

Three days after my last post, a portion of northern California was laid waste by the Camp fire.  Proclaimed as a National wildfire disaster…the largest and most destructive in CA history. It was a news story for most folks…in Butte County it was a nightmare unfolding.  The evacuation line was 50 yds from my driveway.  We were a mere wind-change from the same devastation.

40,000 people are said to have escaped and evacuated…not sure if that’s only Paradise-Magalia, or it that includes the Concow-Yankee Hill-Jarbo Gap communities, or Berry Creek, or the Cherokee Road area on the east side of Table Mountain.   85 are known to be lost.  Amazingly, in spite of their (quite literally) death-defying feats of heroism, we lost NO first responders in the burn zone.

There are no fewer than 40 thousand stories of the Camp fire…  You didn’t have to be in it to be affected by the fire,either.  PTSD affects many survivors and helpers (those who have pitched in to help, regardless of how small an effort).  There are still pets being found by the tireless rescuers and trappers who specialize in small animal rescue following disasters.  That’s after major concerted efforts by hundreds of volunteers sending food and water into the burn zone, and evacuating livestock and pets even before the fire was contained.  Hundreds of pets and livestock were transferred to medical facilities well outside our area for burn treatments.  The UC Medical system got a whole lot of mileage out of learning about burn injuries.  The Camp fire came only a matter of weeks behind the Carr fire in the Redding area.  That’s two large fires with a lot of animals in short order… What they’ve done with these poor injured creatures is nothing short of miraculous!!

We discovered that exotic birds and animals were somewhat popular in the Camp fire zone.  Admittedly, the Camp fire ate a huge hunk of real estate, but it was also quite spread out.  The lake level was very low, and when it’s that low, it’s easier for the fire to jump across the canyons.  The several communities affected each had some kind of ranch, sanctuary or aviary…and most of those folks needed supply runs because they didn’t dare leave their properties due to evacuation orders.  Those are the rules… You can stay if you CAN stay.  Water?  Gas?  Feed?  Volunteers became life-line angels for some very unique “pets” that wouldn’t fit in just anywhere…

Life in our little part of the world has changed in a big way.   40,000 people had to go somewhere ELSE overnight.  A housing shortage was affecting the two towns closest to the burn zone be damned, the folks displaced by the fires had no where to return to.  In the early days following the fires, we were hearing that insurance companies were putting folks into the closest available hotel…in Sacramento, 75 miles away.  Initially, literally hundreds of households doubled-up in the aftermath.  Too much shock, too little real knowledge, too many decisions, too few places for information and help to restore.  Most folks believed they’d be home in a few hours to a couple days.  They never thought their lives were literally going up in smoke. One of my friends says her home “vaporized.”  Things you would expect to find…nothing remained except some bone china and heavy metals.

Yes, Life has changed in our little part of the world, and the “world” hasn’t kept up with that change.  Mostly, the immediate nearby communities are bigger by several hundred to a few thousand people.  Those numbers must surely be fluid…as housing shuffles and shifts and FEMA units arrive and are populated.  Schools are out now for the summer.  This is an ideal time for families to make bigger moves, especially if they’re leaving the state.  We all experience more delays, longer lines, and traffic changes along with everything else.  Hopefully, we can find a stasis that can be addressed and managed to help folks recover instead of making it worse for them.

ISO – Fabulous Peanut Sauce

I love Thai Foodie….  She has a recipe for Peanut Sauce (Legit, no less!) that makes a much larger quantity than I was prepared for….

• 3/4 cup natural creamy peanut butter (our notation….be careful…get the real natural…not the natural one with added sugar….thanks Jif – not!)
• 2 tbsp Thai red curry paste (a tablespoon or so less if you don’t want it as spicy, a tablespoon or so more if you want it spicier)
• 13.5 oz can coconut milk
• 1/2 cup brown sugar or 3/4 cup grated palm sugar
• 2 tbsp white vinegar or 2 tbsp tamarind paste (concentrate)
• 1/2 cup water
• salt to taste

Since I bought Jif “natural” and didn’t  check for added sugar until AFTER I tasted the sauce and realized it was WAY too sweet….  I ended up adding an extra 2-3 tablespoons tamarind and a couple tablespoons of fish sauce, as well as using the full 2 tablespoons of red curry paste to offset the “too sweet” aspect.  Success!!

I have about 2 tablespoons of the ACF peanut sauce left in the fridge….and I’ve got close to a QUART of fresh peanut sauce… They taste slightly different…. The ACF sauce uses lime juice for the “sour” component and Thai-Foodie uses tamarind.  Both are in keeping with Thai cuisine, so both are “authentic.”  One thing I’m sure of at this point is I need to find a few things peanut sauce works with so we can enjoy our labors!

Another Peanut Sauce…

I got a copy of The Original Thai Cookbook (by Jennifer Brennan) for Christmas.  I’m starting to wonder what region of Thailand the recipes come from.  The Peanut Sauce is ok…just not what we think of when we think of Thai Peanut sauce.  It’s super thick – spreadable thick…and lacks a sour quality.  The ingredients are red curry paste, coconut milk, peanut butter, palm sugar  and fish sauce.  Like I said…really thick…  I ended up adding palm sugar (even though the peanut butter had sugar in it…same peanut butter as I used above….some soy, more fish sauce, the juice of half a lime AND 1/2 cup of water.  It was still thick…and neither of us like it as much as either of the previous sauces we tried.  And so…on to the next!