Cheeseburger Soup

On this bitterly cold day, it seems like a good time to share this hearty soup recipe. Cold, dreary days make me long for the comfort of a hot bowl of soup. This is our middle daughter's favorite dinner. I did not anticipate how emotional I would be when I made it for her last week. I won't be able to make it again for her for a while since she just got married and moved out of state. 

The first step is to brown the beef and soften the vegetables with the basil and parsley in a large pot over medium heat. If your family doesn't like basil, substitute oregano or leave it out altogether.

Then add the chicken broth and potatoes and simmer until the potatoes are tender. Mix the flour into 1/2 cup of cold water in a small jar with a tight fitting lid (or combine with a whisk in a small bowl).








 Add the flour, water mixture to the soup stirring constantly until the soup thickens. Turn the heat back to low and add the remaining ingredients except the sour cream. Heat, stirring occasionally until the cheese is melted. Remove the pot from the heat and stir in the sour cream. I serve this soup with rolls and fresh fruit or carrots and celery.

To make the soup in a slow cooker: Brown and drain the ground beef and add it to the slow cooker with the vegetables, parsley, basil, chicken broth and potatoes and cook on low for four to five hours. Turn slow cooker to high and bring to a boil, add flour mixed with 1/2 cup water and stir until thickened. Stir in the milk, cheese, salt and pepper and continue cooking and occasionally stirring until cheese is melted. Turn off heat and stir in sour cream.  

To freeze the soup: I don't like the texture of potatoes that have been frozen, and sour cream tends to separate when it has been frozen so I don't freeze the completed soup.  The way I get around this is to double the beef, vegetables and herbs and cook them as for the original recipe. At this point, I remove half of the mixture and cool before placing it in a zip top bag and freezing it. This does make assembling the soup quite a bit quicker. You could simply double the recipe and freeze half if these aren't issues for you.

 Cheeseburger Soup

1/2 pound ground beef
3/4 cup onion, chopped
3/4 cup carrot, chopped
3/4 cup celery, chopped
1 teaspoon dried parsley
1 teaspoon dried basil
3 cups chicken broth (or 3 cups water and 3 bullion cubes)
4 cups potatoes, cubed (1 3/4 pounds)
1/4 cup flour
1/2 cup water
8 ounces American cheese
1 1/2 cups milk
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/4 cup sour cream

Brown ground beef over medium heat in a dutch oven, drain.  Add vegetables, parsley and basil and saute until tender.  Add broth and potatoes; bring to a boil.  Reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes or until potatoes are tender.  Mix flour with water, stir into boiling soup.  Cook and stir for two minutes.  Reduce heat to low.  Add cheese, milk, salt and pepper, cook and stir until cheese melts.  Remove from heat; blend in sour cream.

8 servings (about 10 cups)

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bars

I'll confess before I say anything else - I Love Pumpkin! Pumpkin roll, pumpkin muffins, pumpkin spice latte, pumpkin granola, pumpkin creme brulee, even pumpkin pie, but I don't like the crust. I'm making myself hungry. Here's another pumpkin recipe: Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins. (This recipe is gluten free because it uses oats instead of flour. They are more dense and chewy than muffins made with flour, but just as tasty.)

These bars are moist and not too sweet., and closer to cake than cookies. The original recipe is from this cookbook that I have had for over twenty five years. I have used many of it's recipes in all of those years and definitely not just at Christmas. Even though I have always preferred savory foods to desserts, close to half of the recipes in my personal cookbook are desserts. I wonder why.

Note: I used the stoneware pan because my metal sheet pans that are the right size were in the dishwasher. This was a mistake. By the time the bars were cool enough to serve, they were overcooked and tough. I should have taken the pan out of the oven a few minutes early to adjust for the heat the pan holds - I wish I had thought of that before I baked them.

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bars

2 cups flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

4 eggs

1 16-ounce can pumpkin

1 ½ cups sugar

¼ cup oil

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 cup (6 oz.) chocolate chips

3 Tablespoons sugar

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Combine flour, baking powder, 2 tsp cinnamon, baking soda and salt in a small bowl and set aside. In a medium mixing bowl beat eggs, pumpkin, 1 ½ cups sugar, oil, and vanilla extract until well blended. Add flour mixture and mix just until moistened. Fold in the chocolate chips.

Spread in an ungreased 15x10x1 inch baking pan. Stir together remaining sugar and cinnamon and sprinkle evenly over batter. Bake at 350 degrees for 25 to 30 minutes or until done. Cool and cut into bars.

32 bars

Dirt Cake

I first made this for a family 4th of July party ten or more years ago. The kids are all grown now and we rarely go to my mom and dad's for the Fourth, but every year we did I was asked to bring dirt cake. (I don't really know why it is called cake. - It is really a pudding or parfait.) I love it in a bucket. We also made it in a wheelbarrow and dump truck. I wish I had pictures of those. While the recipe doesn't call for gummy worms, they are a necessity in our house.

Start by crushing the Oreos, then set them aside.

Make the pudding mixture. If the cream cheese sets out for several hours it will mix in much more smoothly. (Microwave it 15 or 20 seconds if it isn't room temperature.)

Then layer the pudding and cookies ending with cookies. A straight sided bowl will work, but a bucket or foil lined terra cotta pot (that is new) are much more fun. You could add a silk flower to a flower pot.

 

When I made this recently, I created a more adult version. I crushed a sleeve of Graham crackers and mixed the crumbs with two tablespoons of sugar and maybe three tablespoons of butter to create a crust. I pressed the mixture onto a baking sheet and baked it for 10 minutes at 350 degrees to toast the crumbs. (Plain Graham cracker crumbs work, but I like the flavor after they are toasted.) I also used blueberries and raspberries and Lemon Fruit Tart filling (I found it at Wegman's. Lemon pie filling would work.) The tart filling was a little thick so I mixed a tablespoon of lemon juice into about one half cup so it would spread better.

I really enjoyed the fruit version. It isn't quite as sweet or heavy as the Oreo dirt cake, but I'm a sucker for any fruit dessert and I love citrus. The Oreo version seems to be most people's favorite.

Since I had made two versions, I layered everything in Mason jars. (I have also used eight ounce plastic cups when I was taking dirt cake to someone's home.)

Now that fall is here, I may have to try mixing some pumpkin puree and pumpkin pie spice into the pudding mixture and layering it with ginger snap crumbs.

Dirt Cake

1 large package Oreos

2 8 ounce packages cream cheese, softened

1 cup confectioners sugar

2 small packages vanilla instant pudding

3 cups milk

1 12 ounce container Cool Whip

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Crush cookies to fine crumbs.  (Easiest in a food processor.) Combine cream cheese and confectioners sugar with an electric mixer.  Add pudding mix and milk; mix well.  Fold in Cool Whip and vanilla extract.  Layer pudding mixture with cookie crumbs.  Chill until ready to serve.

Four Bean Salad

This recipe is an oldie, but it is much loved by my husband. I can't believe Labor Day was the only time I made it this summer. I believe I found this version in the Huntsville Heritage Cookbook that was a wedding present almost thirty years ago. Actually, the original recipe is three beans. I added the garbanzo beans at some point. It is very simple, and delicious. And it keeps in the fridge for weeks.

 The ingredients are very simple:
green beans
wax beans
kidney beans
garbanzo beans
oil
white vinegar
salt
pepper
onion
green pepper.

First, drain and rinse all of the beans.  You want as much water as possible to run off so it doesn't dilute the dressing.

Then, mix the oil, vinegar, salt and pepper in a small saucepan and bring to a boil.

Put the onion and green pepper that you have diced into a large bowl with the drained beans.

 Pour the dressing over the vegetables and mix gently. Stir the salad two or three times over several hours before serving. The flavor improves as the salad stands so you can make it days before you need it.

Four Bean Salad

1 14.5 oz can each green beans, wax beans, kidney beans, garbanzo beans

¾ cup oil

¾ cup white vinegar

1 teaspoon each salt and pepper

1 medium green pepper, diced

1 medium onion diced

Drain and rinse all of the beans. Allow them to drain while finishing the recipe. In a small saucepan mix the oil, vinegar, salt and pepper and heat to boiling. While the dressing is heating mix all of the vegetables in a large bowl. Pour the hot dressing over the vegetables and mix gently to combine. The salad should be stirred a couple of times over several hours before serving. It is best when made at least a day ahead.

Chicken Nacho Dip

We first had this dip at a party. It was so good, we went back for more several times. The couple who brought it found the recipe here. I've used more black beans and included the liquid with the Rotel tomatoes to suit our family's tastes. If you cook extra chicken a night or two before making the dip, it is very quick to throw together.

 It is really an appetizer, but we add fruit or a salad and eat it for dinner. My son made rice to go with it tonight too. 

I guess it doesn't look very appetizing, but it is really yummy. It has become a favorite around here.

Chicken Nacho Dip

10 ounce can Rotel Tomatoes, undrained

1 pound Velveeta, cubed

2 large cooked chicken breast halves, shredded

1/3 cup sour cream

1 ½ Tablespoons taco seasoning mix (about half of an envelope)

15 ounce can black beans, drained and rinsed

Place all ingredients in a slow cooker. Cook on high 1 to 2 hours, stirring occasionally or until hot. Serve with tortilla chips.

6 servings (main dish)

(I would be afraid to heat this on top of the stove. I think it would burn easily, but you probably could heat it in the microwave instead of a slow cooker, if you don't have a couple of hours to wait for it.)

Cole Slaw

There are different points of view of what cole slaw should be. My husband prefers this version that has no mayo. My mom on the other hand doesn't care for this version. If it doesn't have a mayo based dressing, she won't eat it. I actually like this sweet and sour version.

I always make cole slaw to go with BBQ.  (Here's my mom's BBQ.) I grew up putting pickles on sloppy joes and BBQ to add crunch and a sour component to balance the sweetness of the sauce. Then I went to Virginia Tech and fell in love with a southern boy. I was introduced to BBQ with slaw and I haven't turned back.

I use a bag of slaw mix instead of shredding a head of cabbage these days and often use red instead of green pepper.
 
I have also changed the procedure slightly since I wrote this nearly thirty years ago. I mix the sugar, vinegar, salt and dry mustard in a saucepan and heat it just until the sugar is dissolved. Then I whisk in the oil before pouring it on the vegetables.

This needs to stand a while for the flavors to blend. Several hours is enough, but it is better after a day or two.

Pepper Steak

When I was in high school, I got home from school around 2:30. At lunch, I would have a pack of those awful orange cheese crackers. (I liked them then.) and wait until I got home to have lunch. There were often leftovers in the fridge which was always a treat since my mom is a great cook. My favorites were pepper steak and shrimp creole.

 This recipe is a 70's home made version of the popular Chinese restaurant dish. I usually make a couple additions to make it more interesting. I add two or three minced cloves of garlic when I brown the meat, and if I have it, a teaspoonful or two of toasted sesame oil just before serving .

Pepper Steak
1-1 ¼ lb round steak
2 cups beef broth (or 2 boullion cubes and 2 cups water)
1 large green pepper, sliced (or half green and half red)
4 Tablespoons soy sauce (low sodium works well)
2 Tablespoons cornstarch

Cut steak into strips and brown in a little oil.  Add green pepper and sauté a few minutes to begin softening peppers.  Add broth and soy sauce, and simmer 30 minutes.  Mix cornstarch in ¼ cup water, add to pan and stir constantly until thickened.  Serve over rice.

Serves 4-6

Banana Pudding in a jar

When we had friends with kids coming for dinner, I wanted to make a fun dessert. Since I have gotten caught up in the craze for making everything from no-cook oatmeal to salads in Mason jars, banana pudding came to mind. It seemed like a perfect recipe to adapt to individual servings. We have loved Paula Deen's Not Yo' Moma's Banana Pudding since my mom introduced us to it years ago so I started there.


(Our friends' son liked it so much he used two spoons.)


  I did use Trader Joe's Ultimate Vanilla Wafers since the Chessmen cookies wouldn't fit in 8 ounce jars. I also have changed the procedure to dirty fewer bowls.

You could use regular vanilla wafers, but these are really rich and good and have vanilla beans - see the black flecks.

 After gathering the ingredients, I mixed the cream cheese, condensed milk, milk, pudding mix and whipped topping. Then it was time to start layering.The pudding mixture set quicker than I would have liked. It doesn't need to be as firm when it is going in jars as it does in a large pan, so I think I will change things next time. (I didn't need as much filling as this made either.)







 This recipe makes a large dish of banana pudding, so after I filled the ten jars I had pudding left. I layered it in a casserole with strawberries.











 Banana Pudding in a Jar

1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened (I use reduced fat)
1 (14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk 

2 cups milk (I use skim)
1 (5-ounce) box instant vanilla pudding

1 (12-ounce) container frozen whipped topping thawed

1 pkg Vanilla Wafers
4 large bananas, sliced

12 8 ounce Mason jars

In a large mixing bowl mix cream cheese and condensed milk until smooth. Add the milk and pudding mix and mix until well blended. Add the whipped topping and mix until just combined. Place one cookie in the bottom of each jar. Add a couple of Tablespoons of the pudding mixture, then top with about half of the bananas. (5 or 6 slices in each jar.) Add a cookie to each jar and press down to remove some of the air space. Add some more of the pudding and the rest of the bananas. Top with pudding almost to the top of the jars and finish with a cookie before putting the lids on. Refrigerate at least several hours before serving.

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins (gluten free)

I had planned to make these banana oatmeal breakfast muffins, on Debbie Riechert's blog, one morning, but between the time I went to bed the night before and the time I was ready to bake, the ripe bananas had disappeared. That was fine since Jenny had been asking for Pumpkin chocolate chip muffins too. I just made a few changes and they were amazing.

Jenny requested them again today and when I forgot to add the chips to the batter, I decided I needed to rewrite the recipe instead of following the one I had found. Putting the chocolate chips on top just isn't the same. I also have made a significant procedural change.

 Instead of mixing everything in the food processor, I transferred the oat flour to a mixing bowl and added the remaining ingredients. Stirring just until blended.

Without the structure gluten provides, these don't rise as much as they would if made with wheat flour so they can be filled to the top. 

When I changed this recipe to pumpkin, I added some sugar since pumpkin puree isn't as sweet as banana. You might be able to add more honey instead, but that would throw off the ratio of dry to wet ingredients and I don't know how they would turn out.






Pumpkin Oat Muffins with Chocolate Chips - GF


2 1/2 cups old fashioned oats
1 cup plain Greek yogurt
2 eggs
1/2 cup honey
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup pumpkin puree
 ¼ cup sugar
½ cup chocolate chips, optional

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. In a food processor or blender, grind the oats into flour. Pour into a mixing bowl, add the remaining ingredients and mix well. Grease 18 muffin cups. Divide batter into pans. (You can fill the cups almost to the top. These don’t rise like muffins made with wheat flour do.) Bake 16 to 18 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Greek Bread Salad

 We love this salad. I know bread in a salad? It really works though. You do need a good sturdy bread, one with a dense chewy bite. (We love the roasted garlic bread from the COSTCO here.) This is one of the few recipes that I make as written. It is the Barefoot Contessa's Greek Panzanella. Follow the link for the complete recipe.

Ingredients:

Good olive oil
1 small French bread or boule
Kosher salt
1 hothouse cucumber
1 red bell pepper
1 yellow bell pepper
1 pint cherry or grape tomatoes
1/2 red onion
1/2 pound feta cheese
1/2 cup calamata olives, pitted

You can adjust the amounts of the vegetables to suit your families taste and what you have on hand. Even though the recipe calls for 6 cups of cubed bread, I always make more.  There is taste testing while they are being toasted, of course - Usually by everyone in the house. It also seems to be the favorite ingredient in the salad, so leftovers have very little bread.

For the vinaigrette:

2 cloves garlic
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/4 cup good red wine vinegar
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup good olive oil

The dressing is pretty garlicky, which we love. You can use one clove if you don't want it to be so strong. Dijon mustard in the dressing may sound a little odd, but don't leave it out. Mustard helps emulsify the dressing (keeps it from separating).

You do need to plan ahead a little, since the salad should sit at room temperature for about half an hour to blend the flavors.

 This is great with grilled meats.

I did make the salad without the bread at first. I took some of the vegetables (that I cut smaller) and dressing and mixed them with quinoa (a bargain at COSTCO) for our daughter who is on a gluten free diet.

German Chocolate Pound Cake

Years ago my mom and dad created a cookbook of family favorites. It included this gem that I'm sure Mom found, but Dad makes. He has become the baker in the family since he retired. I love that this cake is moist, chocolatey and not too sweet.

You will get better results if you use an electric mixer instead of beating the batter by hand. (Kate, you can beat it by hand since you don't believe in using electric mixers.) Since there is very little leavening in this cake, you have to work a lot of air into the batter for it to rise properly.

Start by preheating the oven to 300 degrees. Grease and flour a bundt pan or two loaf pans (8 1/2 x 4 1/2).


Cream 2 cups of sugar and 1 cup (2 sticks) of butter. You need to beat this for several minutes or until the butter is light colored and most of the graininess (is that even a word?) is gone.

Can you see how much creamier the second picture is?

Add 4 eggs, one at a time mixing  well after each addition.

Melt a 4 ounce bar of German Sweet Chocolate (you can find this near the chocolate chips) in the microwave in thirty second intervals. If the chocolate is almost melted, the heat in the bowl will probably finish the job, if you stir it a bit. Mix the chocolate, 2 teaspoons of vanilla extract, 1 cup of buttermilk, and 1 teaspoon of instant coffee granules into the batter.

A couple of notes here: If, like me, you grab a quart of milk instead of buttermilk, you can put one tablespoon of white vinegar into a one cup measuring cup and add milk to get one cup. If you don't have instant coffee, just leave it out. (The original recipe doesn't call for it.) For some reason, coffee makes chocolate more chocolatey without making the finished product taste like coffee.

Sift together 3 cups of flour, ½ teaspoon of baking soda, and 1 teaspoon of salt. (If you don't have a sifter, you can stir the ingredients in a large bowl, with a whisk.) Mix the dry ingredients into the batter with the chocolate chips, if you are using them. You only need to stir until all of the flour is incorporated. Over-mixing will toughen your cake.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan(s) and bake for 1 ½ hours. (70 to 80 minutes for loaf pans.) Cool 5 minutes before turning the cake out of the pan. Wrap the cake in plastic wrap or place in a sealed cake keeper. This cake is unusual because it is wrapped while it is hot, which keeps the cake really moist. Cool completely before serving.

It was a good thing these got wrapped while they were hot, since I needed to take one to someone half an hour after they came out of the oven.

German Chocolate Pound Cake

2 cups sugar

1 cup butter, softened

4 eggs

1 cup buttermilk

2 tsps vanilla extract

1 pkg (4 oz) German sweet chocolate, melted

1 tsp instant coffee granules, optional

3 cups flour

½ tsp baking soda

1 tsp salt

1 bag miniature chocolate chips, optional

Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Grease and flour a bundt pan or two loaf pans.

Cream sugar and butter, then add eggs one at a time. Mix in the vanilla, buttermilk, and melted chocolate. Sift together flour, baking soda and salt. Mix into batter with chocolate chips if you are using them. Pour into pan and bake for 1 ½ hours. (70 to 80 minutes for loaf pans.) 

Cool in pan 5 minutes. Remove the cake from the pan and wrap or place in sealed cake keeper while hot. Cool completely before serving.

Mom's BBQ

Growing up in Delaware we didn't eat real pulled pork, or beef. I thought Mom's version was the real thing. I was disappointed when I first had pulled pork. I still prefer Mom's.  I think of her every time I take my leftover bits and pieces of meat and simmer them with barbecue sauce.

Really, it's that easy. When I have a leftover piece of chicken or beef or pork that sits in the refrigerator for a few days, you know the ones -too big to throw away, but too small to do anything with - I wrap it up and put it in the freezer. A gallon size bag keeps all of them together. When there is enough for a meal, I put the frozen meat in a saucepan with a few tablespoons of water and some BBQ sauce and simmer it for several hours. The slow cooker would probably be perfect for this, but I always do it the way Mom did. After a while you can start to shred the meat as you stir it. And you need to stir it occasionally. The sugar in the sauce makes it easy to burn. (I guess the slow cooker would solve that problem.) I frequently make my sauce these days, but there is always a bottle of store bought in the pantry just in case.

I remember putting pickle slices on the sandwiches when we were growing up. I married a southern boy, so now I make Cole slaw for our sandwiches. French fries are a classic side and they frequently are served here too. Though those are almost always frozen.

Chocolate Pie

Last night, we went to Towson to take Carrie out to celebrate her birthday. It is nice that she is nearby so we can celebrate with her. Dan and I got to have dinner out with five beautiful young ladies. (Carrie, her sisters, and her roommates. Then we went back to her apartment for dessert and presents.

Two thirds of our family love this pie. The other third might if they didn't know it contains tofu. I also love that it is ready to be chilled in fifteen minutes or less, and there is no cooking. This is one of very few recipes that I actually follow as written. It is Alton Brown's Mooless Chocolate Pie. Follow the link to get the measurements for each ingredient.

 There are just six ingredients, if you buy a chocolate cookie crust instead of making one. You could use 1/3 cup of coffee instead of the Kahlua, or a little less than 1/2 teaspoon of instant coffee mixed in 1/3 cup of water. Leave it out altogether if you must, but coffee brings out chocolate's flavor, so it will make a difference. If you are not using Kahlua, taste the filling after everything is blended.  You may want to add another tablespoon of honey since the Kahlua would have added some sweetness.

 A B uses a double boiler to melt the chocolate chips with the Kahlua. I put it in the microwave for 30 seconds, then stir and microwave another 15 seconds. I stir the honey into the chocolate with the vanilla extract since I sometimes have a problem with honey sinking to the bottom of my blender and not getting mixed in.


Pour the chocolate into the blender with the tofu and mix until smooth. Stop and scrape the sides once.



















Finish blending and pour into the crust. A note about the tofu: Silken tofu makes a creamy pudding-like pie. I have used firm tofu when I can't find silken and like the firmer texture almost as well. The firmer pie is a lot easier to serve. Chill for two hours before serving.

There wasn't room for all the filling in this crust, so I got to sample the pie without waiting. Some whipped cream or berries would have been good on top. I wish I had thought of that yesterday. 

Pizza Night

Setting pizza dough on the island to rise is a sure way to get my family involved in making dinner. Everyone wants to help and choose what goes on our pizza. Pizza night often becomes movie night when we decide to take our dinner in the family room. Finding a movie we all want to watch can be a challenge, but that's another story.

Around here anything goes on pizza. Michael has even used macaroni and cheese - which was surprisingly good. It is a great meal for cleaning out the refrigerator. We don't often use pizza sauce or Mozzarella.

I always start with fresh pizza dough, but pita bread, tortillas, English muffins,... can become pizza crust.  A lot of stores have pizza dough available. (Wegman's is our favorite.) If not fresh, then try in the freezer cases. I used frozen bread dough before I discovered pizza dough at the grocery store. For a while I made my own pizza crust, but with inexpensive, delicious fresh dough available it doesn't seem worth the time and energy involved. Bake according to package directions until just beginning to brown.

Arugula/Tomato

Thinly slice 1 medium tomato and place on paper towels to drain before seasoning with salt and pepper. Slice 8 ounces of fresh mozzarella and place between layers of paper towels to drain. Lightly spray or brush crust with olive oil and top with cheese and tomatoes. Add about ½ cup arugula leaves then spray with olive oil and lightly sprinkle with salt. Place in oven for 2 minutes to heat everything through.

Pizza Margherita
This is similar to the arugula and tomato, but just top the pizza with olive oil, tomato and cheese before returning it to the oven for 2 minutes. When it comes out add thinly sliced basil leaves. (The easiest way to slice the basil is to roll the leaves together into a cylinder then slice.)

BBQ Chicken/Bacon

Spread BBQ sauce on cooked crust. Top with diced cooked chicken, crumbled cooked bacon and grated sharp cheddar cheese. Bake for 5 more minutes.

 This one takes some planning ahead since the onions take so long to cook, but it is our favorite right now:
Caramelized onion/goat cheese

Cook 2 or 3 medium onions in 1 or 2 Tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat until golden brown. I add 1/4 teaspoon of salt, which adds flavor and draws moisture out of the onions. You can add 1/4 teaspoon of sugar, which will help with the browning. (It's not enough to make them sweet.) You have to watch them and stir every few minutes or they will burn. This will take 20 to 30 minutes. (It is worth it. – Really) Spread cooked onions over baked crust. Top with 5 ounces of crumbled goat cheese. Place in oven for 2 minutes to heat everything through.

Artichoke Chicken

This recipe is a family favorite. It is quick to throw together and special enough for company. I've been cooking for 40 years and tend to write recipes with just enough information for me to make them. That can leave a beginning cook with questions. Here, I went through step by step and gave more instructions so anyone should be able to successfully make it. Unfortunately, we were hungry and in a hurry so there is no after picture. I'll try to remember to add one the next time we make this recipe.

First you need to drain a 14 ounce can of artichoke hearts. I put them upside down on paper towels while I get the other ingredients ready.

You will also need:
3/4 cup Parmesan cheese
3/4 cup mayonnaise
3 or 4 fat garlic cloves (mine are pretty small)

Chop the artichokes, but not too finely, you want to know what you are biting into. Add the garlic that has been minced (chopped very finely) or put through a garlic press. Mix with the Parm, mayo.

Choose a baking dish that you can fit 4 boneless chicken breasts into without crowding. My 9 by 9 inch dish is a little too small, but it will work. Spray baking dish with non-stick coating or coat it with oil. Put in the chicken and season both sides with salt and pepper. You are trying to create layers of flavor. The salt in the topping or that you add at the table won't add the same flavor.

Top the chicken with the artichoke mixture. There is a generous amount of the topping. I have used it to cover six chicken breasts and had plenty. It is also yummy scooped up with crusty bread. Bake in a 375 degree oven for 25 to 30 minutes. You know your oven. If everything is usually done early, try a little less time. If you aren't sure whether or not the chicken is done, cut into a piece to see that there is no pink and the juices run clear.





Artichoke Chicken

14 oz can artichokes, well drained and chopped
¾ cup grated Parmesan cheese
¾ cup real mayonnaise ( low fat or fat free do not work as well)
4 cloves of garlic, minced (or 1 teaspoon garlic powder)
salt and pepper
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

In a bowl, combine artichokes, Parmesan, mayo, and garlic. Place chicken in an 11 X 7 baking pan that has been greased or lined with parchment paper. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Spread with artichoke mixture. Bake uncovered at 375 degrees for 25- 30 minutes or until chicken juices run clear.

4 servings